Total packaged beverage sales were flat in convenience stores in 2025, according to Chicago-based market research firm Circana. But there were pockets of growth in areas like energy drinks and bottled water.
See what's happening in each beverage segment below.
Energy drinks
Energy drinks in convenience set the pace for the entire beverage sector, (even units grew, at 7.8%) for what was a $16-billion c-store market, according to Circana, reflecting the 52-week period to end 2025.
Energy mainstays Red Bull, C4, Monster and Rockstar introduced new varieties—both traditional and those touting clean, sugar-free and better-for-you attributes.
To add bandwidth to the energy offer, the emergence of mixes and pouches resonated with both loyal and fringe users, providing both convenience and personalization.
In addition to new intake formats, energy added a boost of functionality via functional and caffeinated waters, which “began showing up in traditional energy drink occasions faster than expected,” said Jacob Jordan, category insights manager for Temple, Texas-based McLane Co. Inc. “This shift reflects an increasing blurring of category lines, with shoppers choosing beverages based on benefits rather than legacy definitions.”
Monster Ultra Punk Punch launched in early 2026, positioned as a zero-sugar offering. The debut marks the first-ever exclusive item Monster Energy has released with global c-store chain Circle K, owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
“We wanted to give our customers the first taste of the next big thing in energy, and our strong partnership with the team at Monster Energy made it happen,” said Rebekah Stevenson, head of packaged beverages at Circle K. “Launching Ultra Punk Punch exclusively is about bringing a bold, new flavor to people before they can get it anywhere else.”
Energy “dominated” innovation in 2025, said Carter of OnCue Express. “Established brands Red Bull and Monster continued to drive growth through new flavor launches and expanded zero-sugar offerings, while newer brand Bum Energy stood out with fun, nostalgic flavors, such as Root Beer. Alani’s limited-time flavor drops consistently performed well and generated urgency at shelf.”
He adds that a wide array of beverages, including water, soda and energy, can be levered toward foodservice, to create a win-win. For OnCue, the latter is key to success. “One of our strongest performing bundles paired Celsius with our fresh, made-in-house pizza slices,” he said. “That combination drove double-digit growth for both pizza slices and Celsius.”
Bottled water
Bottled water grew a modest 1.2% for the year period, according to Circana. From a cost standpoint, traditional still bottled water was driven by private-label selections. “Private-label water has been the biggest winner, offering customers the lowest-priced water option in the store without compromising quality,” said Carter.
Flavored seltzer/sparkling/mineral water grew 25.2% in dollars and 14.2% units within convenience, while non-flavored seltzer/sparkling/mineral water grew 14.6%, said Circana.
Clearly, seltzer/sparkling/mineral selections delivered innovation to a category where consumers were eager to remain loyal, but with a twist.
“Flavored and enhanced waters showed notable momentum, driven by wellness-focused shoppers, cleaner labels and social‑media‑influenced discovery,” said Jordan.
Others echo the same about the functional hydration velocity push. At Fireside Market, Slinger, Wisconsin, a small brand with three locations in central Wisconsin, “we saw strong growth in functional hydration, flavored and sparkling waters and ready-to-drink coffee,” said David Lloveras, executive vice president. “Guests are looking for lighter, cleaner options.
Sparkling mineral water brand Mineragua Mas offers authentic Mexican flavors in a lightly sweet twist in three flavors of Mandarin, Guava and Mango Passion.
“It’s a new way of bringing authentic Mexican flavors to sparkling mineral water,” said Jazhen Gonzalez, brand manager at Mineragua. “It’s crafted to deliver crisp refreshment, touch of sweetness and vibrant spirit of Mexico.”
Carbonated soft drinks
Carbonated soft drinks are a $10.9 billion market (c-store dollars), ranking second across all non-adult segments, and behind only energy drinks at $16 billion.
New CSD archetypes are attempting to break out of a dollar and unit malaise, including sodas that tout modern, protein, probiotic and indulgent. “Modern sodas saw especially rapid adoption among Gen Z shoppers, who view them as both functional and fun,” said Jordan.
Barebells Protein Soda, a carbonated drink with 10 grams of protein, strikes a balance between flavor, texture and function. “This is more than just caffeine in a can. With Protein Sodas, we feel like we really hit the spot,” said Isa Galvan, global brand manager at Barebells.
Pepsi Prebiotic Cola represents “the next leap forward in giving consumers choice, optionality and functional ingredients in their cola experience, without sacrificing the iconic Pepsi taste,” said Ram Krishnan, CEO for PepsiCo Beverages U.S.
Speaking about the upside of the gut-health-driven soda trend, Lloveras of Fireside Market said, “as we refine our assortment to better reflect current consumer trends, we will be introducing Poppi Prebiotic Soda into our beverage lineup. To accommodate these high‑interest brands, we will adjust space allocation by reducing facings of lower‑performing products.”
On the nostalgia side, 7Up revived its Shirley Temple flavor in late 2025, featuring notes of cherry, pomegranate and grenadine. “Our team loves the challenge of developing a beverage that evokes a deep sense of nostalgia with a modern twist,” said Andrew Springate, chief marketing officer at Keurig Dr Pepper.
“Carbonated soft drinks rebounded nicely (from the year prior),” said Seth Carter, category manager of packaged beverage for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based OnCue Express. “Limited-time innovations like Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut brought fun and excitement back to the set and drove trips and basket size. Zero-sugar mainstays like Dr Pepper Zero and Coke Zero continued to perform.”
Adult beverages
Total c-store beer, a $25.8 billion market, lost 2.2% dollars for entire 2025, reported Circana, with domestic super-premium (2.9%) and cider (6.5%) registering growth. Non-alcoholic beers increased dollar sales a whopping 31.5% for the year, a trend that continued from recent years.
Within the cider segment, Angry Orchard launched the “World’s Angriest Cider” in summer 2025 with flavorful hot peppers to turn up the heat. The ultra-spicy, small-batch cider was made at Angry Orchard’s Cider House in New York’s Hudson Valley. Each batch of the limited-edition spicy cider featured aji yellow and habanero peppers that steeped into the brew for more than six months.
Total c-store wine for the year lost 4.2% dollars, with the largest segment—still wine—losing 4.4% for what was a $1 billion c-store market. Other segments also lost ground: table wine, beverage wine, traditional fortified wine and sake/plum wine.
Two wine segments that excelled were fruit varieties (1.9% growth) and non-alcoholic wine, reported Circana.
One intriguing wine innovation that arrived in c-stores was Medly Wine. A key to its differentiation was the package innovation. Lightweight and durable and coming in a recyclable pouch, Medly is a greener alternative to appeal to both wine connoisseurs and eco-conscious folks. The zero-sugar wines come in three varietals—French Red, French Rose and Italian White.
Carter of OnCue said private-label wine was regarded as “a major value driver for us. We expanded into private-label wine, launching a pinot grigio and prosecco that deliver premium quality at an approachable price. Running these wines on a two-for promotion helps drive trial and put more product into customers’ hands so they can experience the quality firsthand.”
THC/hemp drinks
This segment grew its stake modestly within convenience in 2025, and where it excelled was largely based on geographic trends.
For those speculating that THC/hemp beverages impose a threat to alcoholic drink fortunes in c-stores, Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief advisor of consumer goods and foodservice insights for Circana, said it appears to be a case of two disparate customer bases.
“The THC/hemp user might partake earlier in the day, with meals and do so while alone,” she said. “I don’t see it having any impact on adult beverages in c-stores—yet.”
Crescent Canna, which launched Ellora, a nonalcoholic, THC-infused spirit, in October, is intended to offer consumers an elevated new way to sip socially or solo minus the alcoholic effect.
“Ellora delivers an uplifting cannabis experience without alcohol and a smooth, complex flavor,” said David Reich, Crescent Canna CMO and co-founder.
Recent survey data from Crescent Canna shows that 77% of consumers who took part in the survey reported drinking less alcohol since trying THC drinks, and more than 20% said they had quit alcohol entirely.
Delta THC seltzers in three dosed options (5-, 10- and 20-milligrams) consist of premium hemp-derived THC in eight flavors. The brand rolled out a rebrand that includes an updated log and packaging that highlights flavor, clean ingredients and fun, the supplier said. A new marketing campaign declares: “There’s a Delta for That.”