DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS

FOR more than a decade, sports and energy drinks have become a key category in most stores, catering as much for busy office workers as for gymgoers and athletes.

In recent years, a new sector has emerged that brings wellbeing to the fore – welcome to the exciting, profitable world of functional drinks.

“The original sports drinks delivered hydration and isotonics, but as the category has developed, key benefits now include amino acids and protein for muscle development as well as caffeine and stimulants for enhanced effort and power in workouts and boosting the metabolism,” says a spokesperson for wholesaler Epicurium.

“Functional isn’t all about sports, either – there’s a lot of attention on healthy lifestyles and wellness, incorporating more specific nutritional requirements, such as fibre for

Natural Ingredients

CONSUMERS are increasingly looking for products that contain more recognisable ingredients, suppliers say.

Energy drinks firm Boost has invested in this market with its Juic’d range and, in June, it introduced a new Blood Orange & Raspberry Crush flavour.

“Juic’d is full of flavour, with real fruit juice refreshment, but at the same value price point for consumers,” says Adrian Hipkiss, marketing director at Boost Drinks.

the fact it comes in a 500ml can, which means it’s sold so well.

“People are used to the 500ml cans for drinks such as Monster and Rockstar, which are a different category, but it’s definitely a plus.” gut, health, minerals, vitamins, botanicals, collagen for wellness, mental health, skin and almost any other health need you can think of,” the spokesperson adds.

The move to natural ingredients is a trend that is also seen at the premium end of the market according to Epicurium, which predicts a bright future for natural ingredients in energy drinks.

“It may be the same shopper, but they will buy for different needs as appropriate to their need state.”

“With the cost-of-living increases, it’s great to be able to add to this thriving category and provide more choice for consumers.”

Boost Juic’d has been “flying off the shelves”, says Dean Holborn, who owns two stores in Redhill and South Nutfield, Surrey. “For us, it’s the value that this product offers as well as

“The energy category will increasingly be extended through natural energy and nootropics (cognitive enhancers).

“Functional benefits will become the norm with shoppers requiring drinks to span different functions and energy requirements, all of them with a growing importance of low- and reducedsugar options.”