If the last year has proven anything, it’s that the demand for soft drinks in the convenience channel shows no signs of slowing down.
There was an increase in visits to convenience stores across 2024 (Lumina), which drove an 8.1% revenue growth, meaning the soft drinks category was worth a whopping 5.6 billion (Nielsen IQ).
As such, the soft drinks category continues to present a valuable opportunity for wholesalers.
The key to this success remains in maintaining a varied soft drink offering which balances trusted, core brands and products, with exciting new flavours and formats.
David Laidler, Brand Director of Carbonates and Lipton at Carlsberg Britvic, comments: “In the changing landscape of convenience retail, one thing appears to have remained consistent over the last few years: the importance of taste and enjoyment when it comes to driving soft drink sales. Consumers are still looking for more than just a thirst quencher, which means impulse stores have had to provide unique soft drink offerings to remain competitive. Recognising the importance of soft drink flavour innovation and the role it plays in the category, Carlsberg Britvic has continued to focus on a pipeline of innovation to support wholesalers.”
Tango launched its limited-edition rotational flavour series, Tango Editions, back in 2022. Tango Editions combine bold tastes, liquids and pack designs to produce striking products that stand out on shelves and in chillers. The brand’s successful rotational flavour series has seen Tango Mango (Nielsen IQ), Tango Paradise Punch (Nielsen IQ) and Tango Berry Peachy (Nielsen IQ) all crowned the number one fruit flavoured carbonates new product development in their respective years.
In February, Tango launched its latest limited-edition flavour, Tango Editions Thirst Trap. The new, zero sugar flavour blends juicy peach, sharp orange and tropical pineapple flavour for a full-on hit of tangy refreshment. Thirst Trap features bold, playful packaging and a name rooted in internet culture – showcasing Tango’s mischievous personality, fostering curiosity and sparking conversation for retailers and consumers.
‘Thirst trap’ is a term that originated on social media, referring to a photo, video, or post designed to attract attention, and this launch seeks to do the same. With its distinctive packaging, designed to appeal to Gen-Z, the launch aims to create buzz among fruit-flavoured carbonate fans and appeal to a new wave of shoppers.
The new flavour offers retailers a fantastic opportunity to capitalise on Tango’s momentum as an iconic brand with a market value of £113m retail sales value in the off trade (Nielsen IQ). The brand continues to lead the category with flavour innovations that have generated more value sales than any other flavoured carbonate brand’s new product launches over the past three years (Nielsen).
As soft drinks are fast becoming the treat of choice for today’s shoppers, Great Britain’s number one lemon and lime flavoured brand (Nielsen IQ), launched 7UP® Pink Lemonade last year. Marking its first launch since 2020, 7UP® Pink Lemonade is a zero sugar drink that delivers the ultimate refreshment with its lemon, lime and raspberry flavour. The launch looked to capitalise on the growing role of innovation in driving growth in the flavoured carbonates category, which accounted for 35% of total flavoured carbonates value growth between April 2023 and March 2025 (Nielsen IQ). What’s more, its zero sugar recipe provides an appealing alternative for consumers seeking no sugar options without compromising on taste or refreshment.
Carlsberg Britvic kicked off 2026 with the launch of Pepsi MAX® Tropical, an exciting new addition to its MAX® flavours portfolio. Blending pineapple, mango and peach flavours, the innovation is designed to meet growing shopper demand for exciting new flavoured cola options. Alongside the launch, the brand unveiled a refreshed look for its £218 million Pepsi MAX® flavours range (Nielsen IQ). The updated packaging features a clearer design, stronger colour cues and distinctive fruit flavour icons, all crafted to enhance Pepsi MAX®’s appeal through standout shelf presence.
Consumer appetites for bold new flavours are increasing, with the flavoured cola category growing six times faster than unflavoured cola (Nielsen IQ). Carlsberg Britvic is well positioned to lead this trend: Pepsi MAX® is the Number 1 Cola brand by volume in the UK (Nielsen), and Pepsi MAX® Cherry is the number one flavoured cola, worth over £207m RSV (Nielsen IQ).
In a category full of choice, strengthening Pepsi MAX®’s flavours offering is a priority for the brand, in order to maintain engagement among Gen Z shoppers and beyond. The addition of Tropical, a popular soft drink flavour in the UK (Nielsen IQ), paired with a bold new visual identity, aims to ensure the brand continues to stay relevant, eye-catching and top of mind with shoppers.
“Despite increasing demands for new and exciting soft drinks, providing shoppers with choice is key,” adds Laidler. “So, don’t forget that Carlsberg Britvic’s portfolio can still cater to those shoppers who are actively looking for core favourites across brands such as Pepsi, Tango, 7UP® and more. In fact, Pepsi MAX® is the number one sold soft drinks brand in British retail (Nielsen IQ), alongside 7UP® as Britain’s number one lemon and lime flavoured brand (Nielsen IQ) and Tango being the second most purchased fruit flavoured carbonates brand (Kantar). These brands and core offerings have remained particularly popular with consumers over the last year and therefore shouldn’t be overlooked.”
Kate Abbotson – Senior External Communications Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, comments: “The soft drinks category is now worth £14.6bn, growing 8% over the last year (Nielsen).
“Within this, colas remain a core segment, worth £2.98bn (Nielsen), with the Coca-Cola portfolio front and centre. Coca-Cola Original Taste is now worth £904.3m in retail value (Nielsen), Coca Cola Zero Sugar continues to grow and is now worth more than £483m (Nielsen) and Diet Coke, the original sugar free cola and an iconic classic, is now worth more than £499m in retail (Nielsen).
“Meanwhile our portfolio is well placed to capture the boom in flavoured colas, with cherry, vanilla, lemon and lime variants across both sugar and sugar-free ranges giving consumers the variety they’re looking for.” In carbonates, Fanta accounts for one in every five flavoured carbonates sold in GB (Nielsen). In February this year, Fanta introduced another fruity flavour to its core line-up with the launch of Fanta Grape, with and without sugar, helping wholesalers and retailers tap into the demand for Fanta NPD.
And Dr Pepper remains the fastest-growing brand in flavoured carbonates, growing ahead of the category in both value and volume terms (Nielsen). In 2025, it launched Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Cherry Crush, a limited-edition variant tied to Valentine’s Day with immediate results including 12.4m litres sold (Nielsen). Following this success, Cherry Crush is now a permanent listing and returned for Valentine’s 2026 with the comeback of ‘Dr Lurve’, while Dr Pepper Cream Swirl followed this February.
When it comes to mixers Schweppes is now worth £83.4m (Nielsen) in value sales (Nielsen) and has remained the go-to mixer for shoppers looking to host social gatherings. It’s newly launched Schweppes Tropical Soda, unveiled last spring, is already worth over £300k (Nielsen).
Energy drinks have continued to lead soft drinks growth, now worth more than £2.4bn (Nielsen) – in line with CCEP’s energy vision that projects the energy category will reach £3.8bn in value by 2030.
Monster has set the pace, with its NPD driving more than half of energy drinks’ innovation sales in the last year (NIQ). Monster Juiced Viking Berry is the latest launch in a series over the past 12 months across the Monster platforms. This includes Monster Ultra Fantasy Ruby Red, which joined the HFSS-compliant Monster Ultra range – and Monster Lando Norris Zero Sugar, which joined the Ultra range, in Spring 2025. Monster’s Core platform includes both zero and full sugar variants, while the Ultra platform offers even more zero sugar fresh flavours. The Juiced platform delivers full-flavoured energy with real fruit juice, and the Additions and Reserve platforms bring further flavour innovation.
Relentless has also expanded its presence with Relentless Guava, which has already delivered more than £1.7m in value sales (Nielsen).
Meanwhile Reign Storm Clean Energy is aimed at a different occasion and audience in a smaller niche market compared to Monster and Relentless. It appeals to fitness enthusiasts with its functional recipe, expanding range and fitness-led marketing activity.
Juice drinks remain an important segment within the soft drinks category, providing a refreshing, fruity option for people to enjoy alongside a meal or snack whilst at home or on the go.
Within this, Oasis continues to deliver growth, as the number one juice drinks brand in GB retail (Nielsen), now worth £120.9m (Nielsen) in value.
Soft drinks is one of the most impactful, exciting and revenue-driving categories in a convenience store. A balance of tried-and-tested major brands and steady pipeline of innovation has created a UK market worth nearly £15bn, and with value sales growing by +7.1% last year (Circana), soft drinks will continue to present profit opportunities to retailers who focus on offering must-stock brands and new product innovation.
Stocking the bestselling brands is something that every good retailer does well, but the best retailers are constantly on the lookout for products that meet market trends and deliver for their shoppers’ evolving needs. AG Barr is committed to delivering innovation that has a genuinely positive impact for retailers and grows the category. The company has identified the fastest-growing areas in the four biggest segments of the market – Carbonates (£5bn), Sports & Energy (£3bn), Pure Juice and Juice Drinks (£2.4bn) and Water (£2.2bn) – which combined make up three quarters of total sales (Circana), and AG Barr is bringing innovation to the market in 2026 that will enable its retail partners to grow sales even further.
Worth £5bn, carbonates is the biggest segment within soft drinks, with sales up by +3.7%. While cola remains the biggest flavour, it is OFC Carbonates, which are spearheading the growth, with sales up by +5.6% (Circana).
AG Barr is helping retailers to build on this by refreshing the look and feel of IRN-BRU, the nation’s third biggest flavoured carbonates brand (Circana). Performing strongly in consumer testing, with purchase intent up by +13% for the new designs, the new look highlights the brand’s remarkably distinctive brand assets, namely the iconic strongman insignia, ‘Made in Scotland from Girders’ strapline, and – of course – its unmistakable orange.
The fast-growing XTRA variant will become ‘ZERO’ to better communicate the extra IRN-BRU taste with zero sugar proposition and align with wider category expectations. With low-calorie carbonates accounting for 50% of category sales and growing +50% faster than higher-calorie equivalents (Circana, IRI), this clearer name places IRN-BRU in the best possible position to drive sales and profits.
Last May, Rubicon launched a new campaign to underline its bold attitude and great taste. ‘Big Flavour Behaviour’ was a huge success for the brand, with 330ml sales increasing by +26% during the campaign period (Circana).
This summer, the campaign returns to underpin a range of innovation from the brand, designed to help retailers unlock opportunities within the £2.4bn pure juice and juice drinks category (Circana).
The brand kickstarted 2026 by rolling out a redesign across its entire range of Sparkling, Spring and Vits Water fruit drinks, which sees customers +19% more likely to state their purchase intent and +17% more likely to agree they are worth paying more for (Walnut).
Rubicon has also added two new must-stock flavours in its Sparkling range. Cherry Burst – tapping into a flavour growing by +42%, and Tropical – appealing to the 84% of fruit flavour carb drinkers who say they look for this flavour in the fixture. Rubicon Tropical will also be available in a Still format, catering to demand from exotic fruit juice shoppers.
Water is a £2.2bn category (Circana), but 62% of consumers say they do not drink enough of it (Mintel). Taste is often the main barrier, which is one of the reasons we’re seeing flavoured water growing by +14% vs last year in symbols & independents (IRI).
But AG Barr believes this growth is barely scratching the surface of where the market could go, as only 20% of flavoured water is purchased as a treat. Rubicon is unlocking this opportunity for further growth with the recent launch of a new Twist range of still spring waters, available in Tropical Burst, Peach Punch, Berry Blast and Mango Mist, coming to selected retailers.
While flavoured water is driving growth into the market, products that layer a functional benefit on top are doing even more heavy lifting, with functional waters now one of the fastest-growing segments in soft drinks, up +43% vs last year and +121% vs three years ago. This growth is driven by an accelerated consumer trend for hydrating more effectively, with 30% of functional water shoppers choosing electrolytes (Global Insight Services).
Boost is meeting this demand with a new range of three great tasting, zero sugar electrolyte waters – Boost Water+. Available in Cherry, Citrus and Strawberry & Peach flavours, Boost Water+ performed exceptionally well in consumer research, with 94% stating they loved the taste and more than 90% saying they would buy them (Consumer Market Research).
Barr is launching a new ‘Flava Explosions’ range, further driving its role in offering amazing value for money with a great tasting, fun range of trending flavours.
With younger consumers drinking Barr more than twice a week, Berry Blast and Peach Punch offer exciting new additions to the category, driving new shoppers into the brand.
Annette Yates, Barr Brand Director at AG Barr, said: “Flavour innovation is a key growth driver for us at Barr, and it’s also what shoppers are actively seeking. With 51% of category growth coming from innovation last year (Circana), launching new, exciting flavours is critical to keeping the fixture fresh.
“We know that our previous new flavour launches are a big incremental sales driver for retailers, not only for the flavours themselves but for the wider Barr Family range and this year we’re extending the availability period so that retailers can take advantage of this uplift year round.
“This launch is designed to bring new shoppers into the category, with its standout packaging and bold fruit flavours demonstrating high popularity with the key fizzy drink audience of teens. We know from previous flavour launches that it will be equally popular with Barr flavour fans of all ages.”
Angela Reay, Nichols Marketing Director, comments: “Health remains a key driver in soft drinks, but the definition of “healthy” has evolved. Today’s growth is being driven less by what’s removed and more by what’s added. While low sugar and clean label are now expected, differentiation comes from functional propositions that enhance body and mind in credible, everyday formats.
“Consumers increasingly want drinks that deliver meaningful benefits while still offering enjoyment – creating opportunities for brands that can seamlessly combine wellbeing with flavour and refreshment. These insights were behind the recent launch of Vimto Energy Tropical Cooler, which is high in Vitamins B6 & B12, zero sugar, and made with natural caffeine and real fruit juice.”
Flavour remains one of the biggest drivers of engagement and trial, with three clear trends shaping innovation: Inspired by Nature, Global Flavours and Newstalgia.
Floral and botanical profiles tap into perceptions of naturalness and wellness, while also offering a lighter form of indulgence when paired creatively with other ingredients.
Global flavours continue to resonate strongly, particularly among younger consumers seeking excitement and discovery. The appetite for exotic and adventurous taste experiences remains high.
Meanwhile, nostalgic flavours have evolved into “Newstalgia” — retro favourites reimagined with a modern twist. Social media is accelerating the reinvention of classic tastes, making them relevant for a new generation while still appealing to older consumers seeking familiarity and comfort.
“Alcohol moderation is a sustained behavioural shift that is reshaping drinking occasions both at home and in the on-trade. The opportunity is not about simple substitution, but about premiumising soft drinks to deliver sophistication, ritual and enjoyment without alcohol,” adds Reay.
“Brands that can offer adult cues, quality ingredients and elevated taste experiences are well placed to capture these expanding occasions.”
Following +41% growth for Vimto Energy in 2025, January saw the launch of Vimto Energy Tropical Cooler – zero sugar, high in vitamins B6 and B12, with natural caffeine and real fruit juice.
To grab consumers’ attention and disrupt the fixture, the new Vimto Fans’ Edition range introduces two crowd-sourced flavours: Pina Guava (Pineapple & Guava) – 500ml PMP (£1.25) and 2L and Sunset Papaya-dise (Orange & Papaya) – 500ml PMP (£1.25).
The product names and pack designs were developed via social media engagement.
Nichols has also strengthened its Caribbean credentials with Levi Roots Reggae Sunrise, launching in both carbonates and energy. The flavour blends passion fruit and papaya, with a citrus twist in carbonates and a hint of turmeric in the energy variant, delivering that unmistakable Levi Roots flavour punch.
Vimto continues its long-term growth trajectory, delivering over ten consecutive years of growth. The brand is now worth £129.3m RSV, up +6.1% in value and +3.2% in volume.
Growth has been broad-based across squash, flavoured carbonates, RTD juice drinks and energy. Vimto is now purchased by more than six million households — one in five UK homes.
Levi Roots is also building momentum. In impulse, 500ml PMP formats have grown +5.6%, driven by Caribbean Crush, up +11%, reflecting strong rate of sale.
This spring, to support the launch of Reggae Sunrise, Levi Roots will put thousands of cans and bottles directly into commuters’ hands, encouraging them to awaken their tastebuds. The events are expected to draw crowds in the UK’s major cities and will be amplified by social media and influencer activation. Alongside the city activations, the brand will offer targeted activation support to wholesalers and retailers in each region, to encourage shopper trial at proximity to purchase and retail distribution.
This summer will see the exciting evolution of Vimto’s annual Masterbrand campaign, now under the banner of ‘Love at First Taste’. The new campaign will drive product trial and category penetration through a £2.3m investment in media, disruptive shopper marketing activity, and messaging on 30 million packs right across the Vimto range.
Nichols partners cross-functionally with wholesalers, from commercial teams to supply chain, marketing and digital.
In 2026, focus will centre on key “big bets” including Vimto Energy Tropical Cooler, Levi Roots Reggae Sunrise and the “Love at First Taste” campaign. Retailer engagement will be supported through interactive “text to win” incentives, physical POS and digital activation.
Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I has launched Ribena Summer Fruits, a new light and deliciously refreshing flavour innovation designed to drive category growth within the squash and ready-to-drink categories. The launch has seen Ribena Summer Fruits rolled out across grocery, convenience and wholesale in three family friendly formats, a Squash 850ml and a RTD 500ml bottle, as well as a 250ml carton.
Ribena grew ahead of the category +8% (Nielsen) in value; +3% (Nielsen) in volume in 2025 thanks to its multi-million pound ‘No Taste Like Home’ brand campaign, strong distribution and updated pack design. The launch of Ribena Summer Fruits will further accelerate growth.
In the UK, the Soft Drinks category is currently worth £11.9bn (Nielsen), up 8.2% (Nielsen) in value since last year. Within this, Summer Fruits is currently the 3rd most popular flavour in squash (Nielsen) and the 5th most popular RTD flavour (Nielsen). Ribena Summer Fruits has real fruit juices from apples and strawberries, enhanced with vibrant raspberry and blackberry flavour; offering innovation that taps into this trend and is well positioned to help retailers capitalise on growing demand for flavour-led refreshment.
Ribena Summer Fruits provides shoppers with a No Added Sugar option and contains 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C in every serving. With Ribena holding a 20% (KPIS) market share within the total juice drinks segment and currently worth £132.7m (Nielsen), the new fruit juice drink will help retailers to leverage the growing demand for refreshing drinks, encouraging shoppers to trade up for well-loved household brands.
Sarah Fleetwood, Head of Brand, Ribena, comments: “We set out to create ‘summer in a bottle’ by blending a combination of quintessentially British summer fruits to deliver an exciting new flavour with No Added Sugar; made with real strawberry and apple fruit juice and bright raspberry and blackberry natural flavour. We know flavour innovation is key for consumers looking for a flavourful twist to their refreshment occasions, so the launch of Ribena Summer Fruits not only speaks to this trend but is also set to reinforce Ribena’s strong position within the UK soft drinks market.”
The new launch builds on Ribena’s refreshed look, rolled out in March 2025, which modernised the brand’s distinctive assets. There has been continued investment into the brand through its ‘No Taste Like Home’ ad, which ran from July to September 2025, linking Ribena closely to family connection and childhood nostalgia; the brand is now well positioned to expand its portfolio, meeting shopper demand for flavour innovation. The launch will be supported by a wider media investment, including featuring on TV from 6th April, with an estimated reach of 85m and 75.4% of all families in the UK.
A Red Bull spokesperson comments: “Sport & Energy is the #1 category in Impulse across the year, and Summer is no exception – last summer Sports & Energy accounted for 40% of all value sales (Nielsen).
“Functional Energy Drinks, specifically, are key to growth in the Impulse channel, especially during the Summer, with Functional Energy driving 47% of all Soft Drink growth in Impulse during the summer of 2025 (Nielsen). Within Functional Energy, Red Bull is the best-selling drink in the fridge, selling more units than any other single serve soft drink in the chiller. In fact, Red Bull Energy Drink 250ml, 355ml and 473ml are the top three SKUS, delivering most value in the channel (Nielsen). So, if you stock nothing else, these are the three products to back during the summer months and all year round.”
Although core SKUS drive the most value, Summer is a key time to engage the influx of new shoppers through NPD, to drive incremental sales. The success of last year’s Summer Edition is evidence of this, driving +66% more value than the prior year’s Summer Edition (Nielsen). In fact, Red Bull Summer Edition was one of the most successful NPD’s across FMCG last year, ranked #5 in weekly sales (Nielsen).
Multipacks are also a key growth driver in Functional Energy and Summer is a key time to trade consumers up into larger pack formats as occasions get bigger. 25% of Food and Drink occasions in June, July and August feature 4 or more, the only other time this is higher is in the month of December (Worldpanel).
Multipacks are gaining momentum in Impulse and this year, 27% of Functional Energy Shoppers who buy in Impulse (Worldpanel), bought a Multipack, seeing value sales grow by +11% in a year (NIQ). Red Bull is the #1 Multipack brand in Impulse, accounting for 51% of value sales (NIQ), so getting this right is essential to optimising trade up within the channel.
This year Red Bull Ice Edition 4PK launched in full sugar PMC into the channel, to trade existing Edition shoppers up. As Editions become established in shopper’s repertoires, loyalty grows. In fact, this year Editions Multipacks have seen loyalty grow to 24% (that’s 24% of their Sport & Energy spend dedicated to Edition Multipacks, +8.9pts vs YA, Worldpanel).
The demand for added-ingredients widens to also receiving an added-benefit through a product. Now 70% of Soft Drink consumers agree that it’s important their beverages give them some functional benefit (Worldpanel).
“We see this in the rise of Sports & Energy, which continues to outpace Soft Drinks, and the wider FMCG market, in fact this year Sports & Energy contributed 35% of all Soft Drink growth (Nielsen),” adds the spokesperson.
From a category perspective, functional products are recruiting shoppers fast, with the most rapid recruitment happening through Sports Drinks (+7.7pts), Iced Coffee (+6.3pts) and Functional Energy (+4.4pts, Worldpanel).
Of these, Functional Energy is the biggest segment, accounting for 16% of Soft Drinks value, and contributing 30% of category growth so getting this category right is key to driving sales (Nielsen).
This year Functional Energy was the fastest growing category in Soft Drinks, adding £278M (Nielsen). Red Bull is the original functional product, and the number one Energy drink brand, accounting for 37.6% of Energy Drink category value, and growing share +0.8pts vs YA (Nielsen).
After the continued success of Flavoured Energy Drinks and Red Bull Editions, the first ever Red Bull Spring Edition – with the taste of Cherry Sakura has launched.
The cherry taste is described as floral, refreshing and fruity and consumers are already reacting positively to the new flavour, with 78% saying a cherry flavoured energy drink was appealing (Vypr). Its clean white can, with subtle pink accents directly reflects the iconic Japanese Cherry Blossom that it is named after, and synonymous with the season, delivering premium shelf-standout.
The new spring launch follows a solid performance for the category and the Red Bull Editions range, with each anticipated launch creating seasonal excitement – making it a must stock as the days get warmer and longer.
Sports & Energy continues to out-pace total soft drinks growth, with Functional Energy the number one driver for total category growth (NIQ). Added to this, the demand for flavoured energy continues, with Red Bull Spring Edition tapping into the rapidly growing shopper base (Worldpanel).
Red Bull Editions have been hugely influential to this growth, with last year’s Peach Edition sitting in the top 10 FMCG launches of the year (NIQ). Not only has NPD performed well for the brand, but the continued expansion of the portfolio has also helped the existing Editions range to grow incrementally (NIQ).
The brand has established a strong shopper base using the accessible 250ml can as the hero price marked format to drive trial. However, as more shoppers buy into Red Bull Editions, there is an opportunity to trade-up for loyal buyers (Kantar). For the first time the brand will offer a 473ml PMC format on its Editions range as well as 250ml. This maintains the entry point for new consumers as well as providing loyal shoppers the opportunity to trade up.
Red Bull Spring Edition with the taste of Cherry Sakura is a full sugar variant, and available now, in single 250ml (plain and PMC) 355ml and 473ml (plain and PMC) cans, as well as 4 x 250ml can multipack.
PRIME is a better-for-you beverage brand founded by global entrepreneurs Logan Paul and KSI, built on the back of sport, culture, and community. From one product to a globally recognised brand, PRIME continues to raise the bar in functional hydration.
For PRIME, wholesale plays a critical role in scaling retail success. As a high-demand, high-velocity brand, ensuring consistent availability across independent retail is essential and that starts with strong wholesale partnerships. Wholesalers enable rapid distribution, support new product launches, and ensure retailers can confidently stock core and limited-time offerings that drive footfall and repeat purchase.
PRIME is known for their innovative limited time offer product launches, each launch supported by a global marketing campaign, creating strong consumer pull across digital and social channels. This demand is then amplified through defined retail focus periods, helping wholesalers and their retail customers capitalise on in-store visibility, secondary placements, and promotional execution – bridging the gap between online hype and physical purchase.
With bold core flavours like Ice Pop and Dragonfruit Fusion, alongside innovation such as PRIME ZERO in Grape Ice, the range delivers both consistency and excitement. Each caffeine-free bottle is packed with electrolytes, B-vitamins, and low sugar – meeting growing consumer demand for better-for-you options.
By working closely with wholesale partners, PRIME ensures the right products are in the right place at the right time – driving rate of sale, maximising availability, and ultimately supporting long-term retail growth. Rob Long, Category Controller, Highland Spring Group, comments: “Consumer behaviour has shifted markedly in recent years toward proactive health management, with a specific emphasis on low- or no-sugar options and positive hydration. Staying hydrated is essential for overall health and wellbeing and this trend is reshaping the landscape, driving a decline in alcohol and sugary drinks consumption while accelerating the demand for natural products which offer a healthier way to hydrate (Vypr). To capitalise on this shift, wholesalers must pivot their portfolio toward low- and no-sugar options. By dedicating a significant share of shelf and warehouse space to high-growth segments such as bottled water, they empower their customers to meet the booming demand for healthier hydration options.
“At Highland Spring, our focus remains on our core Still Flavoured Water range, including Apple & Blackcurrant, Strawberry and Lemon & Lime, as these continue to perform extremely well within the category. In fact, Highland Spring Apple & Blackcurrant 750ml has been crowned Product of the Year 2026 in the Drinks Category. As the UK’s largest consumer-voted award for innovation, this win is a powerful endorsement from over 8,000 shoppers who chose based on innovation, relevance and satisfaction, making it a wholesale must-stock.”
Looking more broadly at the Still Flavoured Water category, it is now worth £315.6m, making it the fastest-growing segment in Water, with value surging by +18.3% year-on-year (NIQ). This performance is outpacing the Total Water category by +5pp (+13.3%, NIQ). For wholesalers, the opportunity to capitalise on this momentum is significant. Prioritising space for Still Flavoured Water, supported by high-impact NPD and promotional activity, will help drive sales and further category growth through 2026.
Two defining trends are accelerating Water category growth: the mainstreaming of proactive wellness and a prioritisation of positive hydration. This evolution in drinking habits, characterised by a decline in sugar and alcohol consumption, is being met by an increasing consumer preference for natural, locally sourced brands. These shifts are not just seasonal but represent a long-term transition in how the UK shops the summer soft drinks aisle.
“Wholesalers must maintain a comprehensive total water portfolio that enables retailers to cater for every consumer occasion. Highland Spring Still is natural, refreshing and hydrating on-the-go, at home or at work. Sparkling brings a healthy, bubbly boost to any moment and Flavoured Still brings extra fruitiness to all occasions. Highland Spring Apple & Blackcurrant 750ml has even been crowned Product of the Year 2026 in the Drinks Category. As the UK’s largest consumer-voted award for innovation, this win is a powerful endorsement from over 8,000 shoppers who chose based on innovation, relevance and satisfaction, making it a must-stock product,” advises Long.
“Visibility is the primary driver of volume in a depot. Highland Spring should be positioned front-and-centre amongst other healthy hydration options within the soft drinks aisle. We recommend clear brand blocking by variant and size to simplify the shop, supported by volume-led multibuys to encourage larger basket sizes.
“While bottled water is relevant 365-days a year, demand peaks during spring and summer. This seasonal surge, amplified by campaigns including our ‘Nature Makes Us’ Highland Spring campaign, creates a massive volume opportunity. Wholesalers should optimise stock levels ahead of heatwaves and deploy weather-triggered activations to turn the forecast into a profit driver.”
As the UK’s number one water brand (NIQ), Highland Spring is entering summer 2026 with a heavyweight investment strategy designed to protect its top spot and accelerate category growth.
The brand is scaling its ‘Nature Makes Us’ platform with a nationwide multi-channel campaign. A significant media spend designed to drive reach and salience will reinforce its unique provenance, maintaining a dominant share of voice and ensuring Highland Spring is top-of-mind for consumers during the peak hydration season.
To turn brand awareness into basket spend, Highland Spring is deploying bespoke shopper marketing campaigns across all channels. These activations are engineered to drive penetration for the brand’s Still water formats, capturing high-frequency on-the-go missions and boosting impulse purchase rates.
Summer 2026 marks the launch of Highland Spring Flavours. This is supported by a major nationwide consumer sampling campaign to encourage trial, alongside a high-impact shopper plan to drive visibility and convert initial interest into long-term repeat purchase.
“As the UK’s number one water brand (NIQ), Highland Spring supports wholesaler profitability by transforming market intelligence into actionable growth strategies,” adds Long. “By offering a comprehensive total water solution, spanning Still, Sparkling, and Flavoured variants, we ensure wholesalers can help their customers meet every consumer occasion. Beyond the product, we also provide bespoke category management, advising on warehouse flow and high-impact brand blocking to maximise visibility. This is not just about supplying the category; it is about collaborating with our wholesale partners to unlock the full margin potential of their fixtures.”
Simon Gray, Founder of Fizz with Purpose, comments: “Shoppers are not looking for “health drinks” in the traditional sense. What we’re seeing is a shift toward what we describe as everyday better-for-you soft drinks.
“Consumers are increasingly conscious of sugar levels, artificial ingredients and product quality, particularly Gen Z and Millennial shoppers. Low or no sugar has effectively become the baseline expectation in many parts of the category, but there is also growing interest in simpler ingredient lists, naturally occurring sugars and drinks without artificial sweeteners.
“That said, taste remains the single biggest driver of repeat purchase. Health cues work best when they act as reassurance rather than the headline proposition.”
Flavour innovation is playing an important role in keeping the category fresh and driving trial.
There is strong engagement with familiar flavours with a twist, such as tropical blends, nostalgic cues and lighter botanical profiles. These styles of flavour feel interesting without being overly experimental, which is important in a fast-moving convenience environment.
Retailers typically see the strongest results when these sit alongside a clear core range of best-selling flavours, rather than replacing them. Innovation works best when it adds excitement without adding complexity to the fixture.
“Alcohol moderation is creating new everyday soft drink occasions that simply didn’t exist in the same way five or ten years ago,” adds Gray.
“Consumers are increasingly choosing soft drinks at lunch, during the working day, or in social situations where they may previously have opted for alcohol. This is driving demand for drinks that feel a little more grown-up, lighter and more balanced, without necessarily being positioned as premium wellness products.
“This shift is one of the reasons we’re seeing strong growth in areas such as water-plus, modern sodas and lighter functional soft drinks, which offer refreshment with a sense of added value.”
IT’S GIVING, the first brand from Fizz with Purpose, is a £1 PMP modern soft drink range, launching in three flavours: Apple & Elderflower, Black Cherry and Mango & Passionfruit. Each 330ml can contains 6g of plant-based fibre, with clear cues such as low calorie, naturally low in sugar and no artificial sweeteners.
The concept is simple: soft drink first, benefit second. The aim is to deliver great taste and everyday value while offering a subtle functional benefit, rather than creating something that feels overtly medicinal or niche. The idea behind the brand is to bring the modern soda concept into the mainstream soft drinks fixture, rather than keeping it confined to niche or premium wellness segments.
Much of the innovation in functional soft drinks has historically arrived at higher price points, which limits how far it can travel within convenience and wholesale. IT’S GIVING is a taste-first, affordable modern soda at £1 PMP, designed specifically for everyday soft drink occasions and built to work commercially for independent retailers.
As IT’S GIVING launches this spring, the brand’s immediate focus is on building strong distribution and rate of sale within wholesale and convenience.
The brand has been developed with those channels in mind from day one, with clear on-pack messaging, price-marked packs and a tight three-SKU range designed to make ranging decisions straightforward.
“We believe there is a clear opportunity for a product that sits between traditional carbonates and premium wellness drinks – delivering flavour, functionality and affordability in one accessible proposition,” says Gray. “The key for retailers and wholesalers is to follow where growth is actually happening in the category.
“While traditional carbonates remain important for volume, much of the recent growth is coming from water, modern sodas and wellness-led soft drinks. Retailers who make space for these emerging segments alongside established sellers are best placed to capture incremental sales.
“Clarity is also critical. Soft drinks is a fast-decision category, so clear segmentation, flavour blocking and cold availability will always outperform over-complicated ranges.”
The launch plans for IT’S GIVING focus on trade visibility and retail activation.
The brand is working with wholesale partners to ensure strong depot presence, clear ranging guidance and retailer education ahead of launch. At fixture level, the priority is simple communication so retailers and shoppers immediately understand the proposition.
The aim is to ensure that when the product lands in market, it is easy to range, easy to explain and easy to sell.
“For wholesalers, success in soft drinks starts with range clarity and availability. Prioritising products that deliver strong rate of sale, simple communication and clear value cues is essential. Price-marked packs continue to play an important role in driving confidence and trial, particularly in convenience. Secondary sitings and strong chiller availability are also key, especially during the summer months when impulse purchases peak,” continues Gray.
“We believe the best results come from building brands with a wholesale first approach. That means working closely with partners on ranging strategy, depot visibility and retailer education, ensuring the product is positioned in a way that drives both trial and repeat purchase.
“Our approach is to focus on the fundamentals: clear propositions, simple ranging and strong rate of sale, so the brand works commercially for wholesalers, retailers and shoppers alike.”
The soft drinks category continues to thrive, with flavoured milk proving to be a key growth area. In convenience, flavoured milk sales are up 14.7% to £376.8 million, now accounting for 44% of the total £850.6 million category (Circana).
A high-growth trend within flavoured milk is the rise of protein milk drinks, which now account for 1 in 10 flavoured milk drinks sold, with more than 49.4 million units sold annually.
Mars Drinks & Treats (MD&T) is catering for this demand with Mars and Snickers Hi Protein milk drinks, with each 250ml bottle containing 20g of protein and 158 calories.
Kerry Cavanaugh, General Manager at Mars Drinks & Treats, says: “Convenience shoppers are seeking soft drinks that deliver on both nutrition and taste.
“Our Hi Protein milk drinks are HFSS-compliant, contain no added sugar and are suitable for vegetarians, helping retailers cater to the continued shift towards lower-sugar soft drinks without compromising on flavour or brand recognition.”
While many flavoured milk drinks are ambient to support stock management, merchandising them in the chiller remains key to driving impulse purchases from those seeking a ready-to-drink refreshment.
The MD&T milk drinks range is suitable for vegetarians and contains no added sugar.
Mazen Baaklini, Founder of eauYES, comments: “Shoppers are far more label-aware and actively seeking low-sugar options made with natural ingredients. There is a clear shift away from artificial sweeteners and heavily processed drinks towards cleaner, functional hydration.
“Flavour innovation absolutely drives trial. Familiar anchors with a twist perform best, balancing comfort with discovery.
“As more consumers reduce alcohol intake, premium soft drinks and bottled waters are becoming the go-to adult alternative. Quality ingredients, sophisticated flavour profiles and strong branding are key.”
The brand’s core mineral water range with clean, natural flavours continues to lead. Simplicity, no sugar, and no preservatives resonate strongly with both retailers and consumers.
“Clarity wins. Shoppers want to understand the benefit quickly. Brands that combine strong functionality, great taste and clear messaging will outperform,” adds Baaklini.
“Wholesalers need to ensure strong visibility, position products in the right functional or premium sets, and support with clear shelf messaging. Education of sales teams also helps drive distribution.”
Steve Behan, General Manager, Duvel Moortgat UK, comments: “We’re seeing a clear shift towards more mindful drinking, with consumers actively choosing drinks that align with a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. Modern drinkers are increasingly scrutinising ingredient lists, looking for natural credentials, lower calorie options and added functional benefits.
“Kombucha sits perfectly within that space. JARR is an organic, sparkling tea that’s both tasty and good for you. It’s made by fermenting tea with sugar and yeast to create a refreshing drink that’s packed full of beneficial bioactive compounds.”
The brand uses carefully selected organic ingredients to deliver a clean alternative to traditional sugary soft drinks. JARR is both rich in fibre and a source of the antioxidant vitamin C which supports collagen formation, contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system and helps reduce fatigue.
“Consumers no longer see health and indulgence as mutually exclusive — they want both. Kombucha answers that demand with a refreshing, adult soft drink that feels both purposeful and premium,” adds Behan. “Flavour innovation is certainly driving growth, but it must be rooted in authenticity. Today’s consumers are adventurous, yet increasingly selective — they want exotic and fruit-led flavours delivered with genuine craftsmanship behind them.”
At JARR, kombucha isn’t manufactured, it’s brewed. The product starts with tea, water and organic sugar, then SCOBY, a living culture of bacteria and yeast, is introduced which ferments the tea over 12 days. This natural process creates kombucha’s gentle sparkle, balanced acidity and layered depth of flavour.
The range centres on four core expressions. Original is clean, crisp and refreshing — the pure expression of the brew. Ginger Lemon delivers warming spice with a bright citrus lift. Passion Fruit offers vibrant tropical sweet-and-sour notes, while Peach Yuzu balances soft stone fruit sweetness with subtle citrus sharpness.
Filipa Roque, from Spraga Kombucha, comments: “Consumers are increasingly looking for better-for-you beverages, but that doesn’t always mean “low sugar.” In kombucha, the appeal is more about natural fermentation, ingredient quality and balance, rather than eliminating sugar entirely. Shoppers understand that kombucha contains sugar as part of the fermentation process, and are choosing it for its lighter feel, complexity of flavour, and functional perception compared with traditional soft drinks.
“Flavour is a key driver of trial, but at present our range is intentionally fruit-led, focusing on clean, recognisable flavours that travel well across markets. This approach helps make kombucha more accessible while still delivering depth through fermentation. Because we own our manufacturing and production facilities, we’re able to move quickly and respond to both global trends and local taste preferences. This gives us the flexibility to develop and test new flavour profiles market by market, and we have exciting innovation in the pipeline designed specifically for different countries and consumer needs.
“As consumers moderate alcohol intake, they’re not just replacing alcohol with water they’re seeking adult, flavour-led alternatives that still feel social and considered.
Kombucha fits naturally into this space, offering depth, acidity and complexity that works well as an alcohol alternative, particularly in the evening or social occasions.”
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