Category Management Handbook

Packaged Beverages: Specialty 2016 (Energy, Sports, Tea, Coffee)

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 drinks31.1%23.3%58.821.7%
Energy drinks27.7%9.5%74.610.0%
Water12.8%4.6%57.92.5%
Sports drinks9.9%2.1%37.34.0%
RTD tea5.6%(6.6%)25.1(7.0%)
Fruit drinks4.4%14.3%29.315.1%
Fruit juice3.4%94.0%11.395.0%
RTD coffee2.7%(10.0%)19.3(5.6%)
Others***2.2%3.8%11.52.8%

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 typeC-store sales ($ millions)PCYA*Unite sales (millions)PCYA*
Energy drinks$8,811.911.1%3,457.18.1%
-Nonaseptic$8,011.411.9%3,201.28.5%
-Energy shots****$799.64.0%254.23.9%
Sports drinks$2,885.210.2%1,623.78.3%
Canned and bottled tea$1,443.19.7%1,072.56.2%
Cappuccino/iced coffee$1,063.719.4%379.916.5%
RTD milk/milk substitutes$199.01.2%97.7(2.3%)
Refrigerated tea$185.16.2%109.84.8%

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 typeC-store sales ($ millions)PCYA*Unite sales (millions)PCYA*
Energy$7,513.310.5%2,973.86.8%
Sports drinks$2,676.38.2%1,463.95.6%
RTD coffee$729.620.7%258.617.3%
Dairy alternatives$286.70.3%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.

BrandC-store sales ($ millions)PCYA*Unite sales (millions)PCYA*
Red Bull$2,309.17.6%733.02.4%
Monster$1,031.910.1%457.39.2%
Red Bull Sugar Free$485.76.6%155.31.1%
Nos$352.717.0%164.314.2%
Monster Energy Zero Ultra$325.220.2%135.516.2%
Java Monster$260.610.3%103.58.9%
Monster Rehab$250.85.0%111.94.2%
Monster Mega Energy$232.43.2%71.61.4%
Monster Energy Lo Carb$224.00.4%92.10.2%
Rockstar$206.71.0%101.00.9%
Total**$8,011.411.9%3,201.28.5%

Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown

Market Share: Energy-Drink Brands

BrandDollar sharePoint share
Red Bull28.8%(1.1)
Monster Energy12.9%(0.2)
Red Bull Sugar Free6.1%(0.3)
Nos4.4%0.2
Monster Energy Zero Ultra4.1%0.3
Java Monster3.3%(0.0)
Monster Rehab3.1%(0.2)
Monster Mega Energy2.9%(0.2)
Monster Energy Lo Carb2.8%(0.3)
Rockstar2.6%(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

UPCC-store sales ($ millions)PCYA*Unite sales (millions)PCYA*
Monster (16-oz.)$237.24.5%103.70.2%
Red Bull (12-oz.)$212.48.6%68.73.5%
Red Bull (8.4-oz.)$143.63.3%61.8(2.1%)
Red Bull (16-oz.)$104.6(3.3%)26.3(7.9%)
Red Bull (20-oz.)$63.912.6%13.28.3%
Total**$2,129.410.1%830.16.0%

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.

BrandC-store sales ($ milllions)PCYA*Unit sales (millions)PCYA*
Gatorade Perform$1,671.43.3%910.21.9%
Powerade Ion4$340.77.2%226.03.0%
Gatorade$199.0166.5%102.4166.2%
Gatorade Fierce$185.559.2%95.268.5%
Gatorade Frost$174.0(15.0%)95.5(13.1%)
Powerade$114.215.6%77.010.9%
Powerade Zero Ion4$61.68.1%38.02.5%
Gatorade G2 Perform$39.0(40.5%)22.4(40.5%)
Gatorade G2$29.090.1%15.086.1%
Bodyarmor$28.6158.0%15.1167.3%
Total**$2,885.110.2%1,623.78.3%

Market Share: Sports-Drink Brands

BrandDollar sharePoint change
Gatorade Perform57.9%(3.9)
Powerade Ion411.8%(0.3)
Gatorade6.9%4.0
Gatorade Fierce6.4%2.0
Gatorade Frost6.0%(1.8)
Powerade4.0%0.2
Powerade Zero Ion42.1%0.0
Others***4.9%N/A

Quarterly Look: Sports-Drink UPCs

C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015

UPCC-store sales ($ milllions)PCYA*Unit sales (millions)PCYA*
Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Lemon Lime, 28-oz.)$31.060.0%15.357.7%
Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Frost Glacier Freeze, 28-oz.)$30.096.0%14.793.8%
Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Cool Blue, 28-oz.)$27.468.3%13.567.0%
Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Fruit Punch, 28-oz.)$26.965.7%13.263.2%
Gatorade Perform Thirst Quencher (Orange, 28-oz.)$24.063.5%11.861.3%
Total**$544.88.8%300.36.8%

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.

BrandC-store sales ($ milllions)PCYA*Unit sales (millions)PCYA*
Lipton Pure Leaf$294.023.9%165.223.1%
AriZona$279.51.1%268.31.2%
Lipton Brisk$225.10.9%194.90.1%
Gold Peak$133.726.9%76.024.4%
Snapple$85.89.6%52.76.5%
Total**$1,443.19.7%1,072.56.2%

RTD Coffee Brands

Nearly 94% of c-store dollar sales in RTD coffee came from the Starbucks brands within the North American Coffee Partnership.

BrandC-store sales ($ milllions)PCYA*Unit sales (millions)PCYA*
Starbucks Frappuccino$578.318.1%198.215.5%
Starbucks Doubleshot$376.928.0%134.825.3%
Java Monster$40.425.0%16.223.2%
Starbucks$32.6(22.2%)15.4(22.1%)
Starbucks Doubleshot Light$8.724.1%3.324.2%
Total**$1,063.719.4%379.916.5%

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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