Market Share: Specialty
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 26, 2015
Energy drinks and sports drinks drove the specialty beverage category in 2015, while ready-to-drink teas and coffees lost share. In this section, a closeup look at each.
Subcategory | Dollar share | PCYA* | Unit sales (Millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbonated soft drinks | 31.1% | 23.3% | 58.8 | 21.7% |
| Energy drinks | 27.7% | 9.5% | 74.6 | 10.0% |
| Water | 12.8% | 4.6% | 57.9 | 2.5% |
| Sports drinks | 9.9% | 2.1% | 37.3 | 4.0% |
| RTD tea | 5.6% | (6.6%) | 25.1 | (7.0%) |
| Fruit drinks | 4.4% | 14.3% | 29.3 | 15.1% |
| Fruit juice | 3.4% | 94.0% | 11.3 | 95.0% |
| RTD coffee | 2.7% | (10.0%) | 19.3 | (5.6%) |
| Others*** | 2.2% | 3.8% | 11.5 | 2.8% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. | * Percent change from a year ago | *** Beverages with less than 2% dollar share
Where the Gains Are
C-store sales of specialty beverages were up across most segments in 2015. The largest—energy drinks—grew units 8.5% in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015, according to IRI. Nielsen figures show a nearly 7% jump in unit sales.
Sports-drink unit sales grew more than 8% in 2015, picking up the pace from the year prior, according to IRI. Nielsen shows a more than 5% increase in c-store unit sales.
Unit sales for ready-to-drink (RTD) tea leapt more than 6%, while ready-to-drink (RTD) cappuccinos and iced coffee grew by double digits in 2015, according to IRI.
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
| Drink type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unite sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy drinks | $8,811.9 | 11.1% | 3,457.1 | 8.1% |
| -Nonaseptic | $8,011.4 | 11.9% | 3,201.2 | 8.5% |
| -Energy shots**** | $799.6 | 4.0% | 254.2 | 3.9% |
| Sports drinks | $2,885.2 | 10.2% | 1,623.7 | 8.3% |
| Canned and bottled tea | $1,443.1 | 9.7% | 1,072.5 | 6.2% |
| Cappuccino/iced coffee | $1,063.7 | 19.4% | 379.9 | 16.5% |
| RTD milk/milk substitutes | $199.0 | 1.2% | 97.7 | (2.3%) |
| Refrigerated tea | $185.1 | 6.2% | 109.8 | 4.8% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown | *** Brands with less than 2% share | **** Click here for brand ranking
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 26, 2015
| Drink type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unite sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | $7,513.3 | 10.5% | 2,973.8 | 6.8% |
| Sports drinks | $2,676.3 | 8.2% | 1,463.9 | 5.6% |
| RTD coffee | $729.6 | 20.7% | 258.6 | 17.3% |
| Dairy alternatives | $286.7 | 0.3% | 151.3 | (5.0%) |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Dr Pepper Snapple Group | * Percent change from a year ago
Big Number
16.5% —Increase in c-store unit sales of RTD cappuccino and iced coffee in 2015, per IRI
Energy-Drink Trends
Energy-Drink Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Last year saw a nearly 12% jump in c-store sales of energy drinks, with Nos and Monster Energy Zero Ultra gaining dollar share, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unite sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bull | $2,309.1 | 7.6% | 733.0 | 2.4% |
| Monster | $1,031.9 | 10.1% | 457.3 | 9.2% |
| Red Bull Sugar Free | $485.7 | 6.6% | 155.3 | 1.1% |
| Nos | $352.7 | 17.0% | 164.3 | 14.2% |
| Monster Energy Zero Ultra | $325.2 | 20.2% | 135.5 | 16.2% |
| Java Monster | $260.6 | 10.3% | 103.5 | 8.9% |
| Monster Rehab | $250.8 | 5.0% | 111.9 | 4.2% |
| Monster Mega Energy | $232.4 | 3.2% | 71.6 | 1.4% |
| Monster Energy Lo Carb | $224.0 | 0.4% | 92.1 | 0.2% |
| Rockstar | $206.7 | 1.0% | 101.0 | 0.9% |
| Total** | $8,011.4 | 11.9% | 3,201.2 | 8.5% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Market Share: Energy-Drink Brands
| Brand | Dollar share | Point share |
|---|---|---|
| Red Bull | 28.8% | (1.1) |
| Monster Energy | 12.9% | (0.2) |
| Red Bull Sugar Free | 6.1% | (0.3) |
| Nos | 4.4% | 0.2 |
| Monster Energy Zero Ultra | 4.1% | 0.3 |
| Java Monster | 3.3% | (0.0) |
| Monster Rehab | 3.1% | (0.2) |
| Monster Mega Energy | 2.9% | (0.2) |
| Monster Energy Lo Carb | 2.8% | (0.3) |
| Rockstar | 2.6% | (0.3) |
| Others*** | 29% | N/A |
Source: IRI | *** Brands with less than 2% share
“The energy category continues to grow, and I’m impressed with the innovation that keeps coming.”
Gary Woods—Packaged Beverage Category Manager of the Year Award winner
Latest Quarter: Energy-Drink UPCs
C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unite sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monster (16-oz.) | $237.2 | 4.5% | 103.7 | 0.2% |
| Red Bull (12-oz.) | $212.4 | 8.6% | 68.7 | 3.5% |
| Red Bull (8.4-oz.) | $143.6 | 3.3% | 61.8 | (2.1%) |
| Red Bull (16-oz.) | $104.6 | (3.3%) | 26.3 | (7.9%) |
| Red Bull (20-oz.) | $63.9 | 12.6% | 13.2 | 8.3% |
| Total** | $2,129.4 | 10.1% | 830.1 | 6.0% |
Source: IRI |* Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Continued: Sports Drinks and RTD Tea & Coffee
Sports-Drink Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Sports-Drink Brands
C-store dollar sales of sports drinks jumped more than 10% in 2015, with Gatorade and Gatorade Fierce growing share, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ milllions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gatorade Perform | $1,671.4 | 3.3% | 910.2 | 1.9% |
| Powerade Ion4 | $340.7 | 7.2% | 226.0 | 3.0% |
| Gatorade | $199.0 | 166.5% | 102.4 | 166.2% |
| Gatorade Fierce | $185.5 | 59.2% | 95.2 | 68.5% |
| Gatorade Frost | $174.0 | (15.0%) | 95.5 | (13.1%) |
| Powerade | $114.2 | 15.6% | 77.0 | 10.9% |
| Powerade Zero Ion4 | $61.6 | 8.1% | 38.0 | 2.5% |
| Gatorade G2 Perform | $39.0 | (40.5%) | 22.4 | (40.5%) |
| Gatorade G2 | $29.0 | 90.1% | 15.0 | 86.1% |
| Bodyarmor | $28.6 | 158.0% | 15.1 | 167.3% |
| Total** | $2,885.1 | 10.2% | 1,623.7 | 8.3% |
Market Share: Sports-Drink Brands
| Brand | Dollar share | Point change |
|---|---|---|
| Gatorade Perform | 57.9% | (3.9) |
| Powerade Ion4 | 11.8% | (0.3) |
| Gatorade | 6.9% | 4.0 |
| Gatorade Fierce | 6.4% | 2.0 |
| Gatorade Frost | 6.0% | (1.8) |
| Powerade | 4.0% | 0.2 |
| Powerade Zero Ion4 | 2.1% | 0.0 |
| Others*** | 4.9% | N/A |
Quarterly Look: Sports-Drink UPCs
C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
| UPC | C-store sales ($ milllions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Lemon Lime, 28-oz.) | $31.0 | 60.0% | 15.3 | 57.7% |
| Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Frost Glacier Freeze, 28-oz.) | $30.0 | 96.0% | 14.7 | 93.8% |
| Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Cool Blue, 28-oz.) | $27.4 | 68.3% | 13.5 | 67.0% |
| Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Fruit Punch, 28-oz.) | $26.9 | 65.7% | 13.2 | 63.2% |
| Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Orange, 28-oz.) | $24.0 | 63.5% | 11.8 | 61.3% |
| Total** | $544.8 | 8.8% | 300.3 | 6.8% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown | *** Brands with less than 2% share
Big Number
8.3% —Increase in c-store unit sales of sports drinks in 2015, according to IRI
RTD Tea and Coffee
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
RTD Tea Brands
Big gains in c-store unit sales of Lipton Pure Leaf and Gold Peak helped push the category up more than 6% in 2015, per IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ milllions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lipton Pure Leaf | $294.0 | 23.9% | 165.2 | 23.1% |
| AriZona | $279.5 | 1.1% | 268.3 | 1.2% |
| Lipton Brisk | $225.1 | 0.9% | 194.9 | 0.1% |
| Gold Peak | $133.7 | 26.9% | 76.0 | 24.4% |
| Snapple | $85.8 | 9.6% | 52.7 | 6.5% |
| Total** | $1,443.1 | 9.7% | 1,072.5 | 6.2% |
RTD Coffee Brands
Nearly 94% of c-store dollar sales in RTD coffee came from the Starbucks brands within the North American Coffee Partnership.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ milllions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starbucks Frappuccino | $578.3 | 18.1% | 198.2 | 15.5% |
| Starbucks Doubleshot | $376.9 | 28.0% | 134.8 | 25.3% |
| Java Monster | $40.4 | 25.0% | 16.2 | 23.2% |
| Starbucks | $32.6 | (22.2%) | 15.4 | (22.1%) |
| Starbucks Doubleshot Light | $8.7 | 24.1% | 3.3 | 24.2% |
| Total** | $1,063.7 | 19.4% | 379.9 | 16.5% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Consumer in Focus
Generation Z, or those consumers who are 23 years old and younger, buy a packaged beverage during 72% of their c-store visits, according to Technomic. Their most frequent purchases from the coolers? Soft drinks (72% of purchases), bottled water (51%), sports drinks (47%), coffee drinks (38%) and energy drinks (36%).
Packaged Beverages: What to Watch
Carbonated Soft Drinks
Bottled Water
Fruit Juice and Fruit Drinks
Alcohol
CMOY Alcohol Beverages: Damian Wyatt
CMOY Packaged Beverages: Gary Woods
View the full 2016 Category Management Handbook
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