Consumers’ desires for choices have no doubt had impacts on the beverage marketplace. SKU proliferation has altered the look of the everyday shopping trip. However, it’s not just more beverage products that are changing the landscape; certification and label claims on these new offerings also are playing a part.
According to the Washington, D.C.-based Organic Trade Association (OTA), Americans continue to find favor with organic products, with sales increasing 11.5 percent to $35.1 billion for 2013, based on the OTA’s latest survey about the organic industry. Conducted and produced by the Nutrition Business Journal, the OTA’s Organic Industry Survey was conducted between Jan. 27 and April 4 and featured responses from more than 200 companies about their reported revenue data, sales growth, revenue by product, and sales channel breakdowns. Between food and non-food organic products, food dominated with roughly 92 percent of the sales at $32.3 billion. Many food categories showed double-digit growth; however, dairy and beverages grew single digits. The dairy sector increased 8 percent for $4.9 billion in sales, and organic beverages were up 5 percent for approximately $4 billion, the OTA stated.