When you hear the word “juice,” it may conjure nostalgic commercials panning to a tall glass of orange juice, gleaming next to a bowl of cereal and fresh berries, with a voiceover saying something about “part of a complete breakfast.” However, as traditional juices have a high sugar content, the “complete breakfast” of today is looking for lower-sugar options, causing juice to fall out of favor with the health-conscious consumer demographic.
“The overall fruit beverage marketplace has been declining for a number of years,” says Gary Hemphill, managing director of research at New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC). “Three factors have contributed to category softness are high sugar content, lack of meaningful innovation and comparatively high prices to other refreshment beverages.”