China Functional Drinks Market Report 2022
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“Managing consumers’ expectations regarding the efficacy of functional drinks is the key to product innovation and communication. Well-known TCM ingredients can win consumers’ affinity and benefit the establishment of long-term consumption habits by incorporating functional drinks into health management routines. The new product development focus needs to shift to holistic wellbeing by guiding consumers towards a healthy lifestyle.”
– Rika Huang, Research Analyst
Key issues covered in this Report
- Market outlook and growth drivers in the next five years for sports and energy drinks
- Latest new product trends and growth opportunities
- Communication methods to convince consumers of functional claims
- Emerging functional claims with the potential to stand out
- Consumers’ acceptance of TCM theory and ingredients
Collapse All
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Covered in this Report
- Excluded
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- The market
- Figure 1: Value segmentation of sports and energy drinks market, China, 2015-22
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- Figure 2: Retail value sales and forecast of energy drinks, China, 2017-27
- Figure 3: Retail value sales and forecast of sports drinks, China, 2017-27
- Companies and brands
- Reignwood Group confronts uncertainty due to trademark lawsuit
- Figure 4: Leading players’ value share of the energy drinks market, China, 2020-22
- Leading sports drink players rebound quickly via production innovation
- Figure 5: Leading players’ value share of the sports drinks market, China, 2020-22
- The consumer
- Energy boosting and vitamin supplementing enjoy the highest penetration
- Figure 6: Functional attributes interest, 2022
- Purchases are triggered mainly by claimed health benefits
- Figure 7: Consumption purpose, 2022
- Holistic wellbeing-related claims are in greater demand
- Figure 8: Emerging functional attributes interest, 2022
- Consumers’ preference for TCM ingredients is polarised
- Figure 9: Ingredients interest, 2022
- Most preferred channels are short video platforms and social media posts
- Figure 10: Information channel, 2022
- Managing consumers’ expectation for efficacy via naturalness
- Figure 11: Consumption behaviour, 2022
- What we think
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Issues and Insights
- Tap into hydration demand under healthy fads and extreme climates
- Facts
- The implications
- Figure 12: Example of drink with professional electrolyte formula, China, 2021
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- Figure 13: Example of drink with natural hydration efficacy, USA, 2018
- Figure 14: Examples of drinks in gel format with hydration claims, global, 2016-20
- Shift focus to holistic wellbeing to reach a wider audience
- Facts
- The implications
- Figure 15: Ad of Driftwell, US, 2021
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- Figure 16: Tiangongqu Ginseng Gelatin Tea, China, 2021
- Add credibility to TCM ingredients to increase consumption interest
- The facts
- The implications
- Figure 17: Share of launches with selected ingredients in all launches from food; drink; beauty & personal care or healthcare, China, 2017-21
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- Figure 18: Shuhua × Tong Ren Tang, China, 2020
- Figure 19: Product communication of Xian Tea, China
- Tap into hydration demand under healthy fads and extreme climates
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Market Size, Segmentation and Forecast
- Both sports drinks and energy drinks returned to the growth trajectory in 2021
- Figure 20: Value segmentation of sports and energy drinks market, China, 2015-22
- Figure 21: Volume segmentation of sports and energy drinks market, China, 2015-22
- Recovery is interrupted by sporadic outbreaks
- Various consumption of energy drinks contributes to the resilience of energy drinks
- Figure 22: Retail value sales and forecast of energy drinks, China, 2017-27
- Figure 23: Retail volume sales and forecast of energy drinks, China, 2017-27
- Sports drinks bear the brunt of outbreaks but with potential to grow in the future
- Figure 24: Retail value sales and forecast of sports drinks, China, 2017-27
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- Figure 25: Retail volume and forecast of sports drinks, China, 2017-27
- Both sports drinks and energy drinks returned to the growth trajectory in 2021
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Market Factors
- Preventive health care and sub-health management reveals broad potential of functional drinks
- Continuous innovation helps increase consumers’ awareness
- Figure 26: New functional drink launches, by launch type, China, 2017-2021
- Emerging outdoor activities bring more communication opportunities
- Figure 27: Examples of outdoor activities hosted by Electrox, China, 2022
- Preventive health care and sub-health management reveals broad potential of functional drinks
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Market Share
- Red Bull trademark dispute causes more losses to Reignwood
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- Figure 28: Leading players’ value share of the energy drinks market, China, 2020-22
- National expansion strategy and product innovation boosts growth for Eastroc Beverage
- Leading sports drink players rebound quickly
- Figure 29: Mizone sparkling sports drinks, China, 2022
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- Figure 30: Alienergy electrolyte water pro, China, 2022
- Figure 31: Leading players’ value share of the sports drinks market, China, 2020-22
- Red Bull trademark dispute causes more losses to Reignwood
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Marketing Activities
- Establish ethical images through practising sustainability
- Figure 32: Mizone “Smart Carbon” concept bottle, China, 2022
- Figure 33: Eastroc Beverage electronic label, China, 2022
- Focus on health benefits of raw materials
- Figure 34: Example of product from Orilab, China, 2022
- Blur the line between functional drinks and health supplements
- Figure 35: Example of product from Herbal & Truth, China, 2022
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- Figure 36: Hardcore Corceous Yi Zheng Gen Botanical Beverage, China, 2022
- Establish ethical images through practising sustainability
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New Product Trends
- Brands are raising the stakes by using drinks with natural profiles to deliver functional benefits
- Figure 37: Share and growth rate of new non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims, by subcategory, China, 2021
- Innovations in packaging focus on portability
- Figure 38: Package type of new non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims, 2019-21
- Figure 39: Examples of new non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims packaged in flexible stand-up pouch and tube, China, 2021
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- Figure 40: Examples of new non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims packaged in tub, China, 2021
- Provide multiple benefits beyond beauty to empower female consumers
- Figure 41: Share of new non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims targeting female consumers, China, 2017-22
- Figure 42: Examples of She Can, China, 2022
- Brands are raising the stakes by using drinks with natural profiles to deliver functional benefits
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Functional Attributes Interest
- Energy boosting and vitamin supplementing enjoy the highest penetration
- Figure 43: Functional attributes interest, 2022
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- Figure 44: Functional attributes interest – preference, 2022
- Separate electrolyte replenishing from sports nutrition support
- Extend beauty enhancing to holistic wellbeing by communicating anti-oxidation
- Figure 45: Functional attributes interest – have drunk and will continue to drink, by gender, 2022
- Assist in relieving stress-causing sleep disorders with drink solutions
- Figure 46: Functional attributes interest – have drunk and will continue to drink sleep aiding drinks, by age & living situation, 2022
- Energy boosting and vitamin supplementing enjoy the highest penetration
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Consumption Purpose
- Claimed health benefits are the most important purchase trigger
- Figure 47: Consumption purpose, 2022
- Flag up hydrating properties of electrolyte drinks
- Increase credibility for emerging functional claims
- Claimed health benefits are the most important purchase trigger
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Emerging Functional Attributes Interest
- Functional claims benefiting holistic wellbeing are in greater demand
- Figure 48: Emerging functional attributes interest, 2022
- Heat-clearing and detoxifying are even more popular in the South
- Figure 49: Emerging functional attributes interest – heat-clearing and detoxifying, by region, 2022
- Leverage protein supplements to tap into women’s bone health in middle age
- Figure 50: Emerging functional attributes interest – strengthening bones, by gender and age, 2022
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- Figure 51: Example of product with soy isoflavones and bone strengthening claim, Japan, 2020
- Figure 52: Functional attributes interest – protein supplementing, by gender and age, 2022
- Figure 53: Example of protein supplementing drink with bone strengthening claim and targeting females, Netherlands, 2021
- Target female consumers’ demand for permissible alcoholic consumption
- Figure 54: Functional attributes interest – hangover cure, by gender and age, 2022
- Functional claims benefiting holistic wellbeing are in greater demand
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Ingredients Interest
- TCM ingredients are more appealing in functional drinks
- Figure 55: Ingredients interest, 2022
- Highlight the importance of DHA supplementation for both children and the elderly
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- Figure 56: Ingredients interest – DHA, by living situation, 2022
- TCM ingredients are more appealing in functional drinks
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Information Channel
- Short video platforms and social media posts are most preferred channels
- Figure 57: Information channel, 2022
- Emerging functional drinks can rely on professional platforms to build credibility
- Figure 58: Information channel – select items, by respondents who have drunk and will continue to drink drinks providing selected health benefits, 2022
- Short video platforms and social media posts are most preferred channels
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Consumption Behaviour
- Utilise naturalness to manage consumers’ expectations for efficacy
- Figure 59: Consumption behaviour, 2022
- Leverage TCM theory to attract female consumers
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- Figure 60: Selected statements of consumption behaviour – agree, by gender, 2022
- Take inspiration from health supplements and cosmetics
- Figure 61: Selected statements of consumption behaviour – agree, by agreement to selected statements, 2022
- Utilise naturalness to manage consumers’ expectations for efficacy
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Food Personas
- Who are they?
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- Figure 62: Food personas, 2022
- Figure 63: Food personas, by generation, 2022
- Critical shoppers rely more on health-vertical information channels
- Figure 64: Information channel, by food persona, 2022
- Brands with professional profiles are more attractive among new trend explorers and critical shoppers
- Figure 65: Selected statements of consumption behaviour – agree, by food persona, 2022
- Who are they?
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Appendix – Market Size, Segmentation and Forecast
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- Figure 66: Retail value sales and forecast of energy drinks, China, 2017-27
- Figure 67: Retail volume sales and forecast of energy drinks, China, 2017-27
- Figure 68: Retail value sales and forecast of sports drinks, China, 2017-27
- Figure 69: Retail volume sales and forecast of sports drinks, China, 2017-27
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
- Methodology
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