UK Soft Drinks Industry Review 2025
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Discover the future of refreshment with Mintel’s UK Soft Drinks Review. A detailed exploration of the UK soft drinks market, this report details the latest trends and consumer preferences driving market dynamics and growth opportunities.
Consumers Want Drinks with Benefits
Consumers’ preference for soft drinks with health benefits over vitamins/supplements is testament to their faith in the ‘food as medicine’ ethos. This points to strong potential for functional soft drinks to find a place within consumers’ everyday health routines. Targeting specific life stages resonates widely and can create standout in the crowded functional space. This also offers a route to boosting engagement with older consumers.
UPFs Lead Industry Challenges
UPF concerns and heightened qualms about artificial sweeteners, combined with many consumers’ desire to avoid drinks that cause blood sugar spikes, present a major challenge for soft drinks other than bottled water. Celebrating the absence of artificial sweeteners would be timely. Less sweet flavours, which address concerns over both sugar and sweeteners while boosting refreshing associations, offer rich potential.
Alcohol Moderation Provides an Opportunity
With soft drinks more appealing as alcohol alternatives than no-/low-alcohol versions, the alcohol moderation movement is a boon for the category. Alcohol-inspired flavours continue to warrant attention, given consumer interest. Beyond this, exploring relaxing ingredients, less sweet flavours and different textures can lean into this trend. Encouraging consumers to elevate their soft drink serves at home can also enhance their role as alcohol replacements.
Key Topics Covered in the Report
- The impact of the cost of living crisis on value sales of soft drinks
- Trends in launch activity in soft drinks, and opportunities for further innovation
- Usage of soft drinks by type, including key demographics
- Qualities associated with different soft drinks, including opportunities to tap further into the importance of hydration
- Behaviours relating to soft drinks, including around functionality and their role as alcohol replacements
- Attitudes towards soft drinks, including concerns around UPFs and artificial sweeteners
About the Report
| Report Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Published Date | June 2025 |
| Data Range | 2019-2029 |
| Consumer Data | 2,000 internet users aged 16+, March 2025 |
| Market Segmentation | Carbonated Soft Drinks, Sports and Energy Drinks, Bottled Water, Cordials and Squashes, Fruit Juice, Juice Drinks and Smoothies, and other RTD Non-carbonates |
| Leading Brands in UK Soft Drinks | Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Pepsi, Monster, Lucozade, Fanta, Innocent, Robinsons, Evian |
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Emma Clifford. Emma joined the Food and Drink team in June 2012 and is responsible for researching and writing food reports. Before joining Mintel, Emma worked as a marketing information analyst at Marketforce and gained retail experience from her time working as a fashion distributor at Debenhams head office.
Lifestage-specific products and those leveraging ancient wisdom can stand out on functionality. Drinks free from artificial sweeteners can shine amid UPF concerns.
Emma Clifford
Associate Director – Food and Drink
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- 2019-24 has been a volatile period
- Graph 1: total value sales of soft drinks, 2019-24
- Market forecast
- Rising prices will keep values in healthy growth
- Value growth driven by inflation, premiumisation and trading up
- Various factors affect volume growth
- Market segmentation
- CSDs lose share over 2022-24
- Graph 2: share of total soft drink value sales, by segment, 2022-24
- Graph 3: total soft drinks values sales, by segment, 2022-24
- Sports/energy drinks and bottled water make gains
- Channels to market
- Retail continues to steal share from on-premise venues
- Graph 4: total value sales of soft drinks, by channel, 2019-24
- Market share
- Coca-Cola maintains its lead; bottled water brands enjoy strong uplifts
- Graph 5: value retail sales of soft drinks, by leading brands, 2022/23-2024/25
- Own-label is a big winner, although still playing a modest role in the category
- Pepsi Max was the star performer among the cola brands
- Market drivers
- Real wage growth continues, but many consumers are still catching up
- Graph 6: CPI inflation rate and total pay growth rate, 2021-25
- Subdued financial wellbeing drives trading down
- Graph 7: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
- Consumer confidence for the year ahead weakened in 2024
- Graph 8: the financial confidence index, 2016-25
- Inflation in soft drinks slows
- Graph 9: CPI annual rate, soft drinks and food, 2019-25
- Health-consciousness is expected to rise again when confidence rebounds
- Graph 10: how often people try to eat healthily, 2018-24
- Scrutiny on UPFs affects consumers’ soft drinks choices
- Government measures on HFSS food and drink slow to roll out
- A largely compliant market can benefit from HFSS restrictions
- Spotlight on blood sugar is another blow for sugary soft drinks
- Graph 11: Google searches for blood sugar, 2022-24
- An extension to the SDIL’s scope is under consultation
- WHO advises against sweeteners and labels aspartame ‘possibly carcinogenic’
- Increased alcohol moderation presents opportunities for soft drinks
- Graph 12: alcohol reduction and non-usage*, 2022-24
- Interest in sustainability to gain ground as income pressures ease
- DRS postponed until 2027
- Barriers to overcome ahead of the DRS rollout
- The EPR scheme comes into force…
- …but is met with resistance from businesses
- The UK’s ageing population warrants attention
- Graph 13: population, by age, 2020, 2025 and 2030
- Consumers expect to maintain drinking habits as they age
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Usage of soft drinks
- Usage of most soft drinks peaks among younger age groups
- Graph 14: usage of soft drinks, by type, by age group, 2025
- Behaviours relating to soft drinks
- Alcohol-inspired flavours continue to offer potential
- Functional soft drinks can encroach on the VMS space
- Target specific lifestages to stand out
- Attitudes towards soft drinks
- UPF concerns influence choice of soft drinks…
- Graph 15: usage of different types of soft drinks, by whether concerns about ultra-processed food and drink have affected drinkers’ choice of soft drinks in the last 12 months, 2025
- Alternative sources of sweetness can address UPF concerns
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INNOVATION TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- The shift towards lower sugar content continued in 2024
- Graph 16: soft drink launches by sugar content per 100ml, 2020-25
- Rebrands continue to drive activity
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APPENDIX
- Market segmentation
- Value sales of soft drinks, by type
- Channels to market
- Sales of soft drinks, by channel
- Market share
- UK: leading brands’ value sales and shares in the retail CSDs market
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Value market forecast for soft drinks
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Abbreviations and terms
- Market definition
- Consumer research methodology
- Infegy Atlas – coverage
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