Beverage Key Takeaways from January Retailer Trends (Europe)

The Landscape of PB in the Beverage Sector

Based on the observations made by Tridge in January, PB took up a large portion of the beverage category, especially in the fruit juice section. The most prominent example is Europe, where private labels dominated the fruit juice shelves in 10 of 12 retail stores. For example, Tesco’s private label ‘Tesco’ and Auchan’s private label ‘Auchan’ took up the largest fruit juice shelf portion of 63.3% and 50% each and were both placed on the best rows at direct eye level on the 2nd and 3rd rows.

In the carbonated drinks section, private labels occupied a smaller shelf than the major soft drink companies such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, yet enjoyed a considerable advantage in terms of price.

Carbonated Drinks Non-PB vs. PB Price Comparison

Source: Tridge

The average price difference between national brands and PB ranged from USD 0.09 in Japan to USD 2.21 in the UK.

Consumer Trends and Sports Event-Based Marketing in Europe

It is possible to infer specific consumer preferences and trends by examining product availability, packaging, and new product releases.

In the UK carbonated drink sector, Pepsi Max took up a larger portion of the shelf than Pepsi. Pepsi Max is a low-calorie, zero-sugar cola that provides a richer, bolder taste by adding artificial sweeteners.

Popularity of Pepsi Max in the UK: Waitrose (Left) & Tesco (Right)

Source: Tridge

In 2023, Pepsi Max ranked second in sales, following Coca-Cola in first place, but outpaced Diet Coke, which marked third place. The product is undergoing solid sales growth in the UK, especially since the UK successfully implemented the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) in 2018. The law imposed taxes on soft drinks containing sugar, thus inducing manufacturers to reduce the sugar content and increasing awareness of sugar intake among consumers.

In France and Germany, there was distinct packaging influenced by major sports events. Coca-Cola, an official sponsor of the 2024 Paris Olympics, offers products featuring the Olympic symbol or torch in France. In Germany, Dr. Pepper released American Football Edition as a promotion for the NFL playoff season. The limited offer is attributed to the growing popularity of the NFL in Germany since 2022, when the regular-season international game first took place in Munich, Germany.

For further information, please check out Retailer Trend Reports on Tridge website.