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Sales of soft drinks in the UK surged past the £1bn mark to reach £1.7bn in the first quarter, up by 12% year-on-year, according to data from CGA Strategy.
Soft drinks now have a 15.5% share of total on premise drinks sales by value, an increase of 1.7 percentage points over the last 12 months.
This is as a result of the wide appeal of them. They are most frequently chosen in the formal dining, with 78% of consumers choosing a soft drink, casual dining, 77%, and hotel, 77%, segments.
Cola attracts nearly half, 45.6%, of all soft drinks sales by value, with cola sales bringing an average of £4,859 into tills in the first quarter.
However, soft drink sales as mixers have suffered a bit with the decline of spirits sales. Mixer value sales are 20% below the pre-COVID-19 levels of 2019.
Matt Meek, CGA senior client manager, said: “Soft drinks have been a real bright spot in a challenging first quarter for the On Premise. Interest in moderation and value have combined to pull more consumers into the category, and we’ve seen some excellent NPD, innovations and activations in early 2023.
“But with inflation piling pressure on both businesses’ costs and consumers’ spending, there will be intense competition for sales over the spring and summer. Keeping up to speed with trends and responding with the right strategies in ranging, pricing, serve and more will be crucial in the battle for soft drinks share.”
