This report looks at the following areas:
- Juice market overview and five-year forecast
- Noteworthy new launch trends and brand marketing activities
- Juice consumption frequency, purposes and changes
- Product features of interest, and barriers to purchase
- Price sensitivity analysis of consumers’ noteworthy purchase behaviours
In line with the healthy drink trend, juice with traditional Chinese nourishing benefits may better resonate with consumers. Building a connection with consumers based on emotional values can help enhance brand appeal.
Marta Zhang, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This Report covers packaged fruit and vegetable pure juices, nectars and juice drinks; carbonated fruit juices are also included.
Total market size includes sales of packaged juice products through both retail (eg supermarkets, convenience stores, vending machines) and non-retail (eg HoReCa, food industry) channels. Retail value includes the sales value of all packaged juice products in retail channels.
Mintel classifies juice products into three different segments by concentration: pure juices, nectars and juice drinks.
- Pure juice: contains nothing but fruit juice at the same strength and consistency as when the fruit was squeezed, and juices made from concentrates that are 100% pure, but are reconstituted to their original strength after transportation. Examples of pure juice products are Huiyuan (汇源) 100% Orange Juice and Nongfu Spring (农夫山泉) NFC.
- Nectars: contain less than 100% (generally 25-99%) fruit juice and have added ingredients, mainly water. Examples of nectars are Nongfu Orchard (农夫果园) 30% Mixed Fruit and Vegetable Juice, Minute Maid (美汁源) Essential Delight.
- Juice drinks: contain less than 100% (generally under 25%) fruit juice and have added ingredients, mainly water, but also sweeteners, flavourings, colourings and/or vitamins. Examples of juice drinks include Tropicana Orange Juice Drink.
Excluded
The Report excludes packaged fruit flavoured drinks without juice in formula, powdered products, smoothies and unpackaged freshly squeezed fruit juices that are made from fruit at the point of purchase and consumed immediately, eg at juice bars.
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Executive Summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- The market
- The retail value of the juice market has been growing steadily
- Market factors
- Pure juices’ market share continues to increase
- Companies and brands
- Leading brands continue to expand market share, but emerging brands’ potential should not be overlooked
- Key trends in marketing campaigns
- Key new product trends
- Examples of products that reflect these trends
- The consumer
- 100% pure juice is most frequently consumed, with women the key consumption group
- Graph 1: consumption frequency, 2024
- Consumers have high expectations for juices with added vitamins, and dietary fibre has potential to grow
- Graph 2: penetration and interest in added ingredients, 2024
- Health benefits are a key driver of juice consumption
- Graph 3: consumption purpose, 2024
- Consumers have doubts about artificial additives
- Graph 4: barriers to purchase, 2024
- Use fruit pulp to show use of real fruits and highlight rich texture
- Graph 5: premiumisation factors, 2024
- RMB10-25 is the best price range for 1L 100% chilled juice – significantly lower than the average price of new products
- Most juice consumers are ‘label researchers’, while also interested in trying new flavours
- Graph 6: behaviours towards juice and juice drinks purchase, 2024
- Issues and insights
- What we think
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The Market
- Market size and forecast
- Pure and functional juices helped further increase retail sales value in 2023
- Volume growth is expected to slow down in the next five years
- Market factors
- Foodservice consumption recovers, while non-alcoholic drink consumption becomes conservative
- Graph 7: year-on-year growth rate of consumer retail sales, by goods/service type, 2022-23
- Graph 8: changes in spending – non-alcoholic drinks, 2022-23
- In line with the healthy eating trend, higher nutrition content is a big advantage of juice
- Graph 9: priority of beverage spending, 2024
- The popularity of “liquid salad” concept grows, boding well for juice demand
- Shanghai introduces a pilot grading system for sugary beverages, which may further affect consumption decisions
- Extreme weather will affect juice’s supply and demand
- Market segmentation
- High concentration juice has been developing rapidly, in line with the healthy drink trend
- High concentration juice has seen rapid development
- A gap still exists between Chinese and international pure juice markets
- Graph 10: juice and juice drink launches, by select markets, 2019-23
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Companies and Brands
- Market share
- Leading brands continue to increase their market share…
- …but emerging brands should not be underestimated
- Marketing activities
- Highlight seasonal limited and seasonal ingredients to meet consumers’ advanced needs
- Innovative ways to highlight the pairing of juice and meal
- Cater to a wider range of consumption occasions, satisfy consumers’ curiosity through diverse packaging formats
- Cross-category and co-branded events are ongoing; collaborations with cultural entertainment and beauty sectors are worth noting
- Take a diversified approach to interact with consumers on social media
- New product trends
- Being natural and healthy is the innovation focus of juice launches
- No additives/preservatives and sugar-free/no added sugar have regained attention
- Examples of juice and juice drinks with minus/natural claims
- Juice has become a hotspot for functional innovation
- Prebiotic claims stand out, while functional innovation is developing into multi-dimensional aspects
- Examples of innovative products with functional claims
- Flavour innovation extends from niche fruits to novel ingredients
- Understanding the graph
- Examples of products with niche flavours
- Food and medicine homology ingredients become a focus of juice innovation
- Technology helps products stay fresh and preserve nutrients
- Graph 11: juice and juice drink launches* with the HPP/NFC claims, by share of category, 2019-23
- Sugar reduction technology has been making continuous breakthroughs
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The Consumer
- Consumption frequency
- Packaged juice faces competition from on-premise tea shops
- Graph 12: consumption frequency – non-alcoholic drinks, 2023
- Graph 13: consumption frequency, 2024
- China’s Gen Zs do not show a strong preference for fruit juices
- Graph 14: consumption frequency – once a week or more, by generation, 2024
- Graph 15: 100% fruit juice consumption frequency – once a week or more, by generation, 2022
- The 00s group still needs to be further engaged
- Graph 16: consumption frequency – didn’t drink this in the last six months, by selected generation, 2024
- Graph 17: consumption frequency – once a week or more, by selected generation, 2024
- Female consumers are still the most active juice consumers, and prefer citrus fruits
- Graph 18: fruit ingredient penetration, by gender, 2024
- Graph 19: consumption frequency – once a week or more, by gender, 2024
- Functional juice targets males and females respectively
- 100% pure juice is poised to increase purchase frequency in lower-tier cities
- Graph 20: consumption frequency – packaged 100% pure juice, by city tier, 2024
- Penetration and interest in added ingredients
- ‘Added vitamins’ is key to increasing repurchase
- Graph 21: penetration and interest in added ingredients, 2024
- High-fibre juice has great potential to grow
- Graph 22: juice and juice drink launches with ‘added’ claims, by market, 2023
- Graph 23: juice and juice drink launches* with ‘added’ claims, by share of ‘added’ claims, 2019-23
- Prebiotic juice can be upgraded from just prune juice towards diversified ingredients
- Graph 24: penetration and interest in added ingredients – have drunk it and are willing to continue drinking, by monthly personal income, 2024
- Pre- and probiotic juice social media word clouds
- Collagen and Chinese ingredients are more attractive to 00s
- Graph 25: penetration and interest in added ingredients – have not drunk it but are interested in trying, by generation, 2024
- Drinking purpose
- Nutritional supplementation drives juice consumption
- Graph 26: consumption purpose, 2024
- The positive connection between juice and mental wellness is worthy of brands’ attention
- Pay attention to the role of juice in helping professionals relieve stress
- Graph 27: consumption purpose – to relax/de-stress, by generation and monthly personal income, 2024
- Use internet buzzwords to resonate with consumers
- Focus on the unique needs of younger female consumers
- Graph 28: consumption purpose, by age and gender, 2024
- With the recovery in foodservice spending, juice pairing with meals has premiumisation potential
- Graph 29: consumption purpose, by monthly personal income, 2024
- Highlight pairing with meals in foodservice occasions and provide consumers with juice choice guides
- Barriers to purchase
- Natural ingredients in juice are poised for an upgrade
- Graph 30: barriers to purchase, 2024
- Both sweetness and sugar content should pay attention
- Graph 31: average sugar content of juice and juice drink launches*, by sub-category, 2019-23
- Women care about sugar content, while men pay more attention to sweetness
- Graph 32: barriers to purchase, by gender, 2024
- Alter the perception among older people that juice is not fresh
- Graph 33: barriers to purchase, by generation, 2024
- Emphasising market education is key to increasing purchase
- Premiumisation factors
- Emphasising being rich in fruit pulp is the most popular premiumisation factor
- Graph 34: premiumisation factors, 2024
- Cater to children’s needs to reach family consumption occasions
- Graph 35: premiumisation factors, by living situation, 2024
- NFC juice has the potential to continue tapping into lower-tier cities
- Graph 36: premiumisation factors, by city tier, 2024
- Organic claims are poised to grow further, while preservation technology upgrades can be a premiumisation focus
- Graph 37: juice and juice drink launches* with the organic claim, by share of category, 2019-23
- Graph 38: premiumisation factors, by monthly personal income, 2024
- Price preference
- RMB10-25 is the best price range for 1L 100% chilled juice
- Younger people’s price sensitivity is polarised
- Graph 39: price sensitivity, by age and gender, 2024
- Consumers living in Shanghai are less price-sensitive
- Graph 40: price sensitivity, by city, 2024
- Behaviours towards juice and juice drinks purchasing
- Most juice consumers are ‘label researchers’
- Graph 41: behaviours towards juice and juice drinks purchase, 2024
- Higher-income consumers have lower brand loyalty, presenting an opportunity for emerging brands
- Graph 42: behaviours towards juice and juice drinks, by monthly personal income, 2024
- Graph 43: behaviours towards juice and juice drinks purchase, 2024
- Female consumers are more receptive torecommendations from bloggers/KOLs
- Graph 44: behaviours towards juice and juice drinks, by gender, 2024
- Those who can pay more for the environment are more likely to recognise high-quality ingredients
- Graph 45: premiumisation factors, by behaviours towards juice and juice drinks, 2024
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Issues and Insights
- Focus on both nutrition and fun to spark enthusiasm for DIY drinks
- Providing at-home DIY ideas based on existing combinations
- Break existing boundaries and inspire greater creativity
- Customisable – invite consumers to co-create recipes
- Juice brands can help promote education around healthy eating
- Leverage traditional Chinese healthcare concepts to further explore juice’s functionality
- Tap into the traditional wellness trend to meet consumers’ health needs
- Tap into TCM herbals
- Highlighting traditional techniques
- Enhance Chinese juice brands’ image of through professional collaborations and endorsement
- The development of 100% pure juice
- 100% pure juice is still nascent
- Ingredients: expand the variety of ingredient types and flavours, while tapping into their unique attributes
- Price: retailers can focus on private labels
- Value marketing: strengthen the emotional connection with consumers
- Value marketing: offer emotional and health value from juice’s natural colours
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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