2015 State of the Beverage Industry: Sports, protein drinks growing consumer base
Every day consumers using protein drinks as meal replacements
Although sports and protein drink companies primarily market to athletes and active consumers, the category’s consumer base is shifting. In fact, the number of high-volume sports drink users, or consumers who drink eight or more sports drinks a month, has been declining in recent years offset by more casual sports drink users joining the consumer ranks, according to Rockville, Md.-based Packaged Facts’ February 2015 report “Functional Foods: Key Trends by Product Categories and Benefits.”
Yet, approximately 34 percent of all surveyed consumers and nearly half of surveyed consumers aged 18-24 drink sports drinks when they are not working out, Mintel Food and Drink Analyst Beth Bloom told Beverage Industry in its May issue. “Such usage indicates the value of product positioning that moves beyond a sports focus and highlights attributes such as hydration and flavor,” she wrote in the Chicago-based market research firm’s January 2015 “Nutritional and Performance Drinks” report.