2020 saw several major changes within the convenience channel, including a change in consumer needs within soft drinks. Three key soft drink needs emerged: energy boost, in-home refreshment and socialising, and hydration.
Consumers sought ‘pick me ups’ as they adjusted to the new normal. This meant stimulants, the leading soft drinks segment in convenience, were well placed to benefit, growing in both take home and on-the-go while bucking the single serve trend.
Stimulants grew 11.6%, adding £57.2m to the convenience channel, outgrowing all other soft drinks combined and attracting shoppers to buy more volume per trip at a higher price. They did especially well in symbols and forecourts, which provided 90% of category growth.
Key trends
Value for money. Understandably, value for money is currently a key priority for shoppers, although research suggests that 82% of households’ finances weren’t affected by Covid-19. To offer great value for money, Rockstar is available in price-marked packs (PMPs) for most of its range. Retailers can benefit by stocking this format and increasing awareness in-store with branded point-of-sale (POS).
On-the-go versus take home. Although packs for drinking at home have grown five times faster than singles during the pandemic, stimulants bucked the trend, growing in both take home and on-the-go. With people increasingly able to be on the move this summer, we expect on-the-go options to accelerate with a continued increase in purchases for drinking out of home and on the move, while fewer people look to buy big bottles or multipacks as we move out of lockdown.
Energy. Energy is among the fastest growing reasons to choose a soft drink. Even so, shoppers buy energy drinks for various reasons, from caffeine-free ‘pick me ups’, to caffeinated stimulant drinks which provide a real boost. Rockstar’s core range and XD Power range contains 40mg of caffeine per 100ml.
Key numbers
- Rockstar has a 14-strong range of energy drinks to provide choice of flavours to consumers, a key element of the stimulant energy category
- Rockstar is the number three energy drink worldwide
- 90% of the population don’t currently buy stimulant drinks
Plan your chiller
Rockstar should be merchandised with other stimulant brands within the energy drinks category, blocked by variant within the leading brands you have on offer. If you have room for five lines from Rockstar then you should lead with the core range of Original and flavours:
- Rockstar Original
- Punched Tropical Guava
- XDurance Blueberry, Pomegranate & Acai
- Juiced Tropical, Orange & Passionfruit
- NEW Rockstar Original No Sugar (available from July in £1.19 PMP format)
These are essential products for retailers, available in the popular big can format in both price-marked and plain packs of 500ml. If you have space, extend your range with several extra Rockstar flavours to encourage new shoppers into the stimulants segment.
Top tips
Stimulant drinks are a huge opportunity for retailers. The segment continues to significantly outpace the soft drinks category, growing at 12.1% against 3.8% – outgrowing all other soft drinks combined and attracting shoppers to buy more volume per trip at a higher price.
There is still scope to boost awareness of the brands available, given that the share of new shoppers buying into the segment is only 9.6%. To ensure retailers are prepared accordingly and make the most of both take-home and on-the-go energy sales, it is important for them to show popular and beacon brands within the segment, such as Rockstar.
Sources:
1 Lumina Intelligence Future of Convenience Report 2021
2 IRI Marketplace, Stimulants, Total Convenience, Value, 52 weeks to 27 December 2020 vs YA
3 IRI Marketplace, Stimulants, Total Convenience, Value %, 52 weeks to 27 December 2020 vs YA
4 IRI Marketplace, Stimulants, Total Convenience, Value, 52 weeks to 27 December 2020 vs YA
5 Kantar Worldpanel, Stimulants, Total Convenience, Shopper Metrics, 52 weeks to 27 December 2020 vs YA
6 IRI Marketplace, Stimulants, Total Symbols & Total Forecourts, Value Contribution to Growth %, 52 weeks to 27 December 2020 vs YA
7 IGD ShopperVista post-coronavirus (COVID-19): revert to savvy shopping behavious, August 2020
8 NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Deferred vs Single Stimulants, 52 w/e to 02.01.21
9 IRI Marketplace, Stimulants, Total Convenience, Value %, 52 weeks to 27 December 2020 vs YA
10 twc trends, Consumers: current attitudes and future plans and the impact on the wholesale route to market. February 2021
11 Kantar Usage Panel In Home/Carried Out, Total Consumers, Reasons for Choosing Soft Drinks Servings % Growth 4YR CAGR to 21.02.2021 (Energy is the third fastest growing reason)
12 Euromonitor, Value, 2021
13 Kantar OOH Purchase Panel, Stimulants, Penetration, 52 w/e to 27.12.2020
14 IRI Total Convenience, Stmulants, 52 weeks to 28.03.21, Value Sales
15 Kantar Worldpanel, Stimulants, Total Convenience, Shopper Metrics, 52 weeks to 27 December 2020 vs YA
16 Kantar Worldpanel, OOH Purchase Panel, Total Market, 52wks, Data to w.e. 27.12.20