Encompassing beverages such as fruit juice drinks, iced tea and coffee and flavoured waters, the adult soft drink market is still relatively young, established as recently as the mid-1990s. The driving rationale is to offer soft drinks that are perceived as ‘healthier’ or more sophisticated than mainstream soft drinks, and which also provide an alternative to alcohol. The supplier's range from large companies involved in the mainstream soft drinks market, to small companies occupying a premium niche.

Encompassing beverages such as fruit juice drinks, iced tea and coffee and flavoured waters, the adult soft drink market is still relatively young, established as recently as the mid-1990s. The driving rationale is to offer soft drinks that are perceived as ‘healthier’ or more sophisticated than mainstream soft drinks, and which also provide an alternative to alcohol. The supplier's range from large companies involved in the mainstream soft drinks market, to small companies occupying a premium niche.

Retail sales have seen a period of considerable growth since 1998, boosted by significant levels of product development that have seen exotic flavours and ‘wellbeing’ products becoming increasingly widespread. Reflecting this trend, Mintel uses this report to investigate whether or not the category can be boosted further by increasing choice and focusing on promotion of the drinks as sophisticated.

Mintel's report provides a unique overview of the market's size, trends, structure and consumers, offering you an extensive insight that explores key issues such as:

How the diversity of the sector is creating a wide range of suppliers

Adult soft drinks as the healthy alternative

The need to provide a drink that is acceptable to young adults out drinking with friends

Market value boosted by the huge success of J2O in the on-trade

Growth in all sectors

Increasing advertising activity for the market

Distribution dominated by grocery multiples

The wariness of potential consumers

A healthy future

An adult soft drink is defined by Mintel as a soft drink marketed specifically at adults and purchased and consumed by them. Mintel includes in this definition premium adult soft, (drinks packaged in glass bottles and positioned at the top of the market, often as an alternative to alcohol), fruit juice drinks with a juice content of up to about 30% and mixed either with still or carbonated water, iced tea and coffee and flavoured waters.