Sports drink growth gathers pace as new launches drive sales

Posted by Isobel Drake on 12th December 2008

Global consumption of sports drinks increased 5.9 per cent to 11,582 million litres in 2007, according to the new Global Sports Drinks report from food and drink consultancy Zenith International. North America retained their position as the largest sports drinks market, with a 48% volume share. Yet it was emerging regions, particularly East Europe and the Middle East, that experienced the most impressive growth rates.”In well developed markets, momentum has been driven by consumer interest in health and wellness. New formulation and ingredient developments have also helped to broaden consumption occasions and target new consumer segments,” commented Zenith Market Intelligence Director, Gary Roethenbaugh. “There is now a plethora of products available for all age and activity levels. More recent innovations include low calorie variants for calorie conscious consumers, drinks specifically formulated for active children and dairy-based recovery drinks.”

Further key findings from the 2008 Global Sports Drinks report included:

* Global sports drinks market value advanced 1.1% in 2007 to €18.5 billion (A$37.46b).
* Global consumption per person was 1.8 litres last year.
* Gatorade from PepsiCo and Powerade from The Coca-Cola Company continue to be the leading global brands.
* Asia Pacific is the second largest region by volume, with Japan and China accounting for 70% of this.
* Recent new product launches indicate a continuing trend towards sport-energy hybrids, dairy-based recovery drinks and sports drinks that use natural ingredients – such as coconut water, a natural isotonic.

By 2012, Zenith anticipates that the global sports drinks market will reach 15.5 billion litres, a rise of 33% over the period, taking average annual consumption to 2.3 litres per person.

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