How much is the UK soft drinks category worth?
The UK soft drinks category continues to be a major and fast-growing part of the FMCG landscape, now worth £14.6bn in total coverage, growing +8% in value and +4.9% in volume.1
Grocery remains the largest channel at £11bn, with strong growth of +7.5% value and +5.0% volume, while impulse is worth £3.6bn and is growing even faster at +9.7% value and +4.2% volume. That strength in impulse underlines the importance of engaging formats, strong visibility and innovation that encourages trial – all areas where Vimto continues to invest.1
Is the market in growth and what is driving that growth?
Yes, the category is firmly in growth, with Energy drinks, Water, Flavoured Carbonates and Colas acting as the key drivers. Together, these segments have added £740m to the category in the past 12 months.1 While price inflation has supported value growth, the story goes much deeper than that. Growth is being driven by increased buyer numbers, higher frequency and greater volume per buyer, showing that consumers remain highly engaged with soft drinks.2 Shoppers are looking for flavour, refreshment and excitement – particularly in impulse – and brands that continue to innovate are best placed to win.
What are the key soft drinks flavours, formats and pack sizes?
Format and flavour remain absolutely critical to success in soft drinks, particularly in impulse.
In flavoured carbonates, 91% of sales come from 500ml bottles, 330ml single cans and 2L formats, with 500ml bottles alone accounting for 51% of value sales. Single 330ml cans contribute 21%, followed by 2L bottles at 19%.3
For still juice drinks, the dominance of on-the-go is even clearer, with 500ml formats accounting for 74% of value sales.4
From a flavour perspective, Mixed Fruit, Irn Bru, Orange, Tropical and Citrus are the biggest contributors in flavoured carbonates, together representing 70% of total sales.3 Similar trends are seen in still drinks, where Mixed Fruit, Berry, Tropical and Citrus flavours over-index, reinforcing the ongoing consumer appetite for bold, fruity refreshment.4
How is Vimto performing?
Vimto continues to go from strength to strength. After more than 10 consecutive years of growth, the brand is now worth £129.3m in retail sales, growing +6.1% in value and +3.2% in volume.5
Over the past year, Vimto has grown across Squash, Flavoured Carbonates, RTD Juice Drinks and Energy, driven by both increased consumer spend and a growing shopper base. Today, Vimto is bought by over 6 million households – that’s 1 in 5 UK households – underlining its position as a truly iconic and much-loved brand.2
Who are the brand’s target consumers?
Vimto has always been proudly inclusive and loved by consumers of all ages. Our core appeal spans families, teens and young adults, with a particularly strong connection among younger shoppers who are looking for bold flavour, standout design and brands with personality.
Across impulse, Vimto over-indexes with on-the-go consumers, while our limited editions, energy range and refreshed packaging help us continually recruit new and younger shoppers without alienating our loyal fan base.
Tell us about the launch of the new 500ml still ready-to-drink and fizzy bottles. What is the purpose of the redesign?
This spring, Nichols is introducing refreshed structural designs across Vimto’s 500ml carbonated and juice bottles, a key format in impulse.
The contemporary bottle design not only modernises the look and feel of Vimto but also enhances the consumer experience. The refreshed packaging which rolls out across PMP and non-PMP packs is also designed to strengthen shelf presence and brand distinctiveness in a competitive market.
The updated bottles retain the familiar Vimto look and feel consumers know and love, while delivering a more contemporary, on-the-go design that supports engagement and helps drive impulse purchases.
Deliveries began in late January, with a full rollout across the trade during March. The new designs are expected to support increased engagement and deliver incremental impulse sales.
Who are the target consumers for this launch?
The refreshed 500ml bottles are aimed at busy, on the go shoppers, particularly those shopping in convenience stores for an immediate refreshment. The updated design creates a more iconic look while delivering an improved on the go experience, making the bottles easier to pick up, hold and enjoy when consumers are out and about.
While the bottles have a fresh, fruity new look, it’s still the same great tasting Vimto that consumers know and love. This ensures the refresh enhances the overall drinking experience without compromising on flavour, helping to attract new shoppers while encouraging repeat purchase from loyal Vimto fans.
Vimto is also launching the Vimto Fans’ Edition range this spring. What flavours will be in the range?
The Vimto Fans’ Edition range features two bold limited-edition flavours co-created with our fans, each new flavour pairs a familiar fruit with a more exotic twist to encourage trial:
• Pina Guava (Pineapple & Guava), available in 500ml PMP (£1.25) and 2L
• Sunset Papayadise (Orange & Papaya), available in 500ml PMP (£1.25)
Both flavours are made with real fruit and are designed to deliver standout impact on shelf while remaining unmistakably Vimto.
How did you use a social media campaign to create the new range?
For Fans’ Edition, we put our consumers at the heart of the process. Through a dedicated Instagram campaign, we gave fans an early preview of the new flavours and invited them to submit name ideas and vote on the final pack designs.
This hands-on approach helped shape both the naming and the look of the range, creating products with a genuine story and a clear point of difference. Concept testing shows the strength of this approach, with 4 in 5 consumers likely to purchase, rising to 84% among teens and young adults, and 84% describing the range as unique and different7.
How is the Vimto Energy range performing?
Vimto Energy is delivering exceptional results. The range is now worth £4.1m, growing +45% year on year, and is outperforming the total energy category by +31 percentage points.6
This strong performance reflects our focus on flavour, accessibility and inclusivity, helping Vimto Energy appeal to both existing Vimto fans and new energy drink shoppers.
What will the new Vimto Energy Tropical Cooler add to the range?
Vimto Energy Tropical Cooler brings a bold new flavour designed to drive sub-category penetration through greater flavour breadth, increasing rate of sale and unlocking incremental growth across wholesale and convenience.
Flavoured energy and price-marked packs are delivering strong growth in impulse, and this launch brings both together in a trusted, mainstream brand. The Tropical Cooler flavour delivers a sense of escapism while staying true to Vimto Energy’s inclusive proposition, helping retailers attract new shoppers, drive repeat purchase and grow the category.
What activity will be included in the Love At First Taste campaign this summer?
This summer, we’ll be inviting shoppers to experience ‘Love At First Taste’ with Vimto through a major, full through-the-line campaign.
The activity will reach over 14.5 million consumers, featuring limited-edition packaging across the Vimto range, supported by online video, OOH, bus wraps, social and digital media, in store shopper marketing and activity in depots. The aim is to make Vimto unmissable both in store and on the streets, driving trial and impulse purchase during the key summer months.
How do you work with wholesalers to grow sales?
We work closely with our wholesale partners to help them drive growth for their customers by focusing on availability, visibility and strong rate of sale across key impulse formats. That includes investing in the right packs for convenience and independent retail, supporting launches with impactful marketing, and bringing innovation and limited editions that help keep depots and retailers’ fixtures fresh and engaging.
By combining big brand investment with shopper insight and clear rate-of-sale drivers, we help wholesalers add value for their customers, unlock incremental sales and margin, and capitalise on impulse-led opportunities across soft drinks.
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