Finding the sweet spot between flavour innovation and a strong core range

Although soft drinks is one of the most stable categories in the out of home market^[1], operators should still consider how they can bring new shoppers into the category. Innovation can play an important role here, as the share of total soft drinks sales coming from New Product Designs (NPDs) increases year on year.^[2]

Soft drinks play a key role across foodservice and licensed channels, with the category growing 7% in the last year alone³. Stocking a strong core range is always important to provide consumers with products they know and love, but to stand out, operators should also look to entice their customers with new launches too. This is where flavour innovation in soft drinks shines, helping operators to offer something exciting in their chillers, adding to what’s an already popular category. 

Top tips for driving sales

• Flavour and food - Taking advantage of food and drink combos can help operators increase spend and drive more sales. In fact, when compared to the total market, flavoured carbonates are much more likely to be purchased in a meal deal[6]. So why not identify your bestselling complementing food and drink products and offer deals for diners who pair up.  What about a Tango Orange with some chicken wings or perhaps a Tango Apple Sugar Free alongside a burger?  

• Get ready for a summer of sports - With a summer sporting events just around the corner, operators showing sport in-outlet should make sure to stock up on a strong core range to meet increased footfall and demand.  

• Stand out with your displays – Operators should create impactful displays to grab customers’ attention and showcase their range.  Combine Tango Mango Point Of Sale (POS) kits, now up from grabs on our POS Kits page, with Tango Mango’s colourful pack design to make displays big and bold. This will disrupt customers’ path to purchase, helping point them in the direction of Tango while helping you drive more sales.   

^{1. CGA, On Premise Measurement Service to December 2023}

^{2. NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Britvic Defined Total Soft Drinks, Value Sales, 52 w/e data to 30/12/23 – NPD considered at Flavour / new packaging type level} 

^{3. Kantar Worldpanel combined TH + OOH panel data} 

^{4. NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage inc discounters, GB, Value sales, Fruit Flavoured Carbonates, Britvic Defined, YTD Calendar year 2023- w/e 30.12.23}

^{5. NielsenIQ RMS, Total Coverage, Britvic Defined Total Soft Drinks, Value Sales, 52 w/e data to 30/12/23 – NPD considered at Flavour / new packaging type level} 

^{6. Lumina Intelligence Eating and Drinking Out Panel, data collected 52WE 24/12/23}