Sector Insight (interactive): fruit juice, juice drinks & smoothies

Trends

'Five a day'. Fruit juices and smoothies often count toward people's target of consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, creating a marketable health benefit.

Price Average. prices have risen (2009-12), but almost a third of shoppers said they would buy more juice drinks if they cost less.

Popularity. It is a popular and mature market: 88% of respondents questioned last September had drunk fruit juice, juice drinks or smoothies in the past six months.

Breakfast association. Having juices at breakfast is an ingrained habit: more than half of British consumers buy these products for that occasion.

Demographics. The expected rise in ABC1s, families and 16- to 34-year-olds (2012-17) should support category growth as they are above-average consumers of juice-based drinks.

The market. Value sales have grown more than 11% to £4.8bn while volume sales have fallen almost 9% to 1.9bn litres (2007-12).

Source: Mintel.

Types of fruit juice, juice drinks and smoothies consumed, September 2012 (%)

Source: GMI/Mintel

Leading fruit juice brands by retail value, 2011/12* (£m)

Source: Mintel/based on SymphonyIRI Group InfoScan *MAT 52 weeks to 6 Aug

Leading juice drink brands by retail value, 2011/12* (£m)

Source: Mintel/based on SymphonyIRI Group InfoScan *MAT 52 weeks to 6 Aug

Main players

Jonathan Gatward, marketing director GB, Britvic Soft Drinks

Gatward joined Britvic as brand controller for Robinsons in 2004. He has since worked his way up to lead all the company's marketing activity. Previous roles include head of marketing at Rank Hovis McDougall.

Douglas Lamont, marketing and innovation director, Innocent

In 2006, Lamont joined Innocent as head of new opportunities. In 2010 he was responsible for the Innocent Juice launch, and in 2012 he took on his current role. He began his career at KPMG.

Patrick Kalotis, group marketing director, PepsiCo

Kalotis leads strategic direction and brand development across a portfolio of brands, including Tropicana, Trop50, Copella, Quaker Oats and Naked. He joined PepsiCo in 2010 from Danone UK, where he was marketing director for waters.

Phil Thomson, associate director for portfolio development, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE)

Thomson has recently taken up this role, managing CCE's brand franchiser relationships for Capri-Sun, Ocean Spray, Appletiser and Monster; he will oversee the GB strategy for these brands. Thomson previously led commercial strategy development for CCE's 'future consumption' products.

Nathan King, group brand director, Ribena

King joined GlaxoSmithKline in November from Dairy Crest, where he spent four years in senior marketing roles. He previously worked at PepsiCo, Danone, Bulmers and Britvic.

Winners and losers in the fruit juice, juice drinks and smoothies sector

Copella. Sales of the PepsiCo pressed-apple juice brand have risen to a value of £39m in 2011/12.

Own-label. This accounts for more than half the market; 42% of consumers believe they are as good as branded lines (GMI/Mintel).

Innocent. The brand dominates the smoothie segment and its fruit-juice line, launched in 2011, has gained a 5% share. Innocent has continued to invest in NPD and advertising. Online it accounted for the most conversation (59%) in this market (Brandwatch, Feb 2013).

Rubicon. Volume and value sales have both dropped in the past two years for AG Barr's juice brand.

Fruit Shoot. Britvic's juice-drink brand suffered a 10% fall in sales (2010-12) and its reputation was hit when a cap design fault led it to recall stock last year.

Source: Mintel

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk