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We calculate that on-the-go soft drink occasions present a sales boost of £8,400 per year1 for each c-store2 operating in the UK today3. Within our Soft Drinks Review 2023, we’ve identified five key drivers4 to help you tap into the opportunity on-the-go formats present.
When the right range is on offer, the opportunity soft drinks is creating is hard to ignore. Energy drinks and cola are flying high, and we’ve also seen that adding interesting, limited-edition flavours into the mix can pay off in driving impulse sales when it comes to on-the-go formats. There is plenty of opportunity for the taking, and we’ve identified five key drivers to help maximise your soft drinks sales when it comes to on-the-go formats:
Born between 1997 and 2010, they make up for 15% of the population [6], and are the most conscientious when deciding which products to buy. Build a genuine emotional connection and excite them with new flavours & promotions.
Soft drink consumption with afternoon snacks is growing, up 11.8% [8]. Offering meal deals will play an important role in this.
Increasingly, consumers are looking for the presence of specific ingredients and functional additions in their drinks such as minerals, vitamins or raw fruits. Creating functional drink and snack promotions and providing education at fixture are all tactics that could pay off.
Fixture layout is key - a minimum of two facings helps to ensure availability. Trials revealed that adding an additional chiller into stores can drive higher sales of on-the-go soft drinks.
Retailers should prioritise energy drinks in their fixtures – it is the largest and fastest growing soft drinks category in cash terms.
1 - Britvic IC Category Vision January 2023. Impulse size of prize based on Nielsen MAT 2022 Impulse share of soft drinks (40%) multiplied by Britvic market opportunity. Impulse size of prize per store calculated by dividing by Lumina 2022 estimated number of impulse outlets 47,861
2 - Britvic defines convenience stores as all independent, symbol group, CNT, petrol forecourt, travel retail and multiple grocer-owned c-stores in the UK
3 - ACS - The 2022 Local Shop Report, September 2022, https://www.acs.org.uk/research/local-shop-report
4 - Britvic IC Category Vision January 2023. Impulse size of prize based on NielsenIQ RMS, MAT 2022, Impulse share of soft drinks (40%) multiplied by market opportunity. Impulse size of prize per store calculated by dividing by Lumina 2022 estimated number of impulse outlets 47,861
5 - Pew Research Centre, Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins, 17/01/2019 https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/wheremillennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/
6 - Mintel, UK Lifestyles of Generation Z Market Report 2023, https://store.mintel.com/report/uk-lifestyles-of-generation-z-market-report#:~:text=How%20many%20Gen%20
7 - Kantar Worldpanel, Usage, Total Soft Drinks Occasions, 52w 07/08/2022
8 - Kantar Worldpanel Online, Usage IH/CO Occasions, 52 w/e 07/08/2022 vs. 2019
9 - IRI, Convenience, Soft Drinks Value, 52wks To 01/01/2023 vs. YA
10 - Kantar, OOH Panel, Stimulants, Penetration 52w/e 19/03/2023
