Since 2008, the sports drink category has grown to include more than 650 UPCs, explained Susan Viamari, editor of Chicago-based SymphonyIRI Group’s Times & Trends, during the market research firm’s “Merchandising Trends” webinar in February. This product count included 12 sports drink brand launches that were so significant, she explained, that they qualified for SymphonyIRI’s New Product Pacesetter status in their respective launch years. Compounding the category’s growth, sports drinks also are competing for purchase in a market in which two-thirds of consumers want to curb spending by eliminating non-essential purchases, Viamari said.
In order to inspire purchase, sports drink marketers turned to merchandising, which in SymphonyIRI’s definition includes feature activity, in-store displays, combined feature and display promotions, and price-only actions. Viamari explained during the webinar that the sports drink category generally sells about two-thirds of its volume with merchandising support. Merchandising lift, or purchase rate, of promoted sports drinks measured at more than 7 percent, and volume sales of sports drinks also increased more than 7 percent for the 52 weeks ending Nov. 27, 2011, in food, drug and mass merchandise outlets, excluding Walmart, club and liquor stores, according to SymphonyIRI data.