Soft drinks category grows 7%
In 2006 the UK soft drinks category grew seven per cent to reach sales of £8.3 bn in value, according to the annual Britvic soft drinks report.
Apart from 2003 where the extraordinarily hot summer drove higher sales, this is the industry’s highest growth level in six years. Overall, the UK’s annual per capita consumption rose 4% to 251 litres – a 22% increase since 2001.
Across all channels, cola, pure juice, water and juice drinks continued to lead the market in value and volume. A continued growth in stills versus carbonates and no-added sugar and diet variants confirmed ‘the better for you’ trend continues to influence the industry.
“The past five years have been an immensely significant time for soft drinks and 2006 was no exception. The escalating trends towards health and well being and the introduction of new legislation continued to shape the category, said Andrew Richards, sales director, Britvic.
“However despite these rapidly changing conditions, the industry grew a remarkable 7%. This exceptional performance is testament to manufacturers’ innovation and understanding of changing consumer needs.
A comparison with major European markets (France, Spain, Italy and Germany) revealed a marked difference in consumption patterns between the UK and its mainland counterparts, particularly in relation to bottled water consumption.“Despite recent growth, the bottled water category still only accounted for around 20% of total soft drinks volume in the UK in 2006. This is contrast to all other European countries where volume is over 50%, which demonstrates the scale.
