Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Sports Drinks

Sports drink sales get into shape

Sports Drinks
July 12, 2011
G Series Sports Drink

With platforms geared toward athletic enthusiasts, sports drinks experienced a resurgence in sales. The total category increased 14.9 percent to more than $3.9 billion in sales, according to SymphonyIRI Group, Chicago, for the 52 weeks ending May 15 in U.S. supermarkets, drug stores, gas and convenience stores and mass merchandise outlets, excluding Wal-Mart.

Non-aseptic bottled sports drinks made up most of the category with more than $3.8 billion in sales and a 14.6 percent increase, SymphonyIRI states. This segment reflected the rebranding efforts by category leader PepsiCo’s Gatorade brand, which in 2010 released its G Series and G Series Pro product lines. G Series Perform 02, which is the rebranded Gatorade Thirst Quencher, and Recover 03, a new protein-enhanced post-workout beverage, reported $1.9 billion and $33.2 million in sales, respectively.

Also a part of the G Series lineup, Prime 01 is classified as an aseptic packaged product and accounted for more than $23.7 million in sales — occupying 92 percent of the $25.7 million aseptic segment, according to SymphonyIRI data.

Gatorade’s G2 Series, a low-calorie variety, also continued to grow its market share and sales. G2 Perform posted a 570.9 percent increase for $383.6 million in sales, according to SymphonyIRI data.

Focusing on expanding its reach to consumers’ needs, Gatorade this year released G Series Fit, which offers low-calorie drinks and fruit juice-based protein drinks. Also designed in a tiered format, Perform 02 G Series Fit products contain 20 calories in each bottle, while Recover 03 smoothie packages contain 120 calories. The company also continued to distribute its G Natural and G2 Natural brands in select Whole Foods Market stores throughout the United States.

The three-tiered format of Gatorade’s product lines reflects what analysts see as an opportunity to create more drink occasions for sports drinks besides the hydration aspect during sports and athletic activities.

The other top-selling bottled sports drink, The Coca-Cola Co.’s Powerade Ion4 brand, continued to showcase growth as its sales and market share increased 22.1 percent compared to last year with more than $655.7 million in sales, SymphonyIRI data states. No-calorie Powerade Zero also posted positive sales figures with a 58.6 percent sales increase for $188.2 million in sales, the market research firm data shows.

Sales of sports drink mixes remained relatively flat accounting for $63.5 million for the 52 weeks ending May 15, according to SymphonyIRI. Gatorade’s Propel brand maintained its top position in market share, but reported a decrease of 10.6 percent. Some of the largest gains included Gatorade G2 Perform, Gatorade Perform and Powerade Ion4. Gatorade G2 Perform increased its market share to 11.1 percent, up from 0.1 percent reported last year.

Although sports drinks had a rebound year compared to 2010, the category has seen emerging competition, such as coconut water due to its naturally occurring electrolytes. PepsiCo increased its investment in One Natural Experience (O.N.E.), a Los Angeles-based company that manufactures coconut water. Last year, O.N.E. released O.N.E. Active coconut water that enhances naturally electrolyte-rich coconut water with the addition of ginkgo biloba, panax ginseng, catuaba bark and antioxidants. The beverage is sweetened with stevia and available in Grape/Berry, Lemon/Lime and Cranberry/Grapefruit varieties.

Also emerging in the sports drink niche categories are companies such as Celsius Holdings Inc., Boca Raton, Fla. The company’s Celsius products are non-carbonated pre-exercise fitness drinks that contain vitamins and make claims that the product helps to boost metabolism. BI

KEYWORDS: coconut water Gatorade powerade

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Alternative Drinks
    By: Lauren Sabetta
  • Younger generation displays unique habits when it comes to beverage consumption

    Generation Z shakes things up in beverage

    Experts share that Gen Z is changing the standard on what...
    Beverage News
    By: Chloe Alverson
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

halfday sodas

Beverage-makers turn to fiber, prebiotics and more to support consumer needs

smoothie

Opportunities abound for relaxation, stress-relief beverages

Anheuser-Busch Brewing Futures

Anheuser-Busch announces $300 million investment in US manufacturing

Vote for your favorite new product

Have your say in what makes it to the top this month!
Vote for your favorite new product and help us celebrate excellence.


VOTE NOW!

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Whoop Ass Energy Drink

    Energy drink sales get a jolt

    See More
  • U2 eco-oven

    Getting plastic bottles into shape

    See More
  • G Series Gatorade fruit

    Sports drinks expand offerings into new formats

    See More
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing