New trends in beverage consumption: three-dimensional taste, health upgrade, emotional resonance
Sparkling juice, bubble milk, bubble tea and other bubble beverages were born; sugar-free tea beverages are becoming popular under the health trend, and the post-95s are the beverage consumers with the greatest growth potential...Recently, CBN Business Data Center (CBNData) and Tmall jointly released the "2021 Beverage Consumption Trend Insights" report, which provides insight into the current development of the beverage market, the salient characteristics of new consumer groups, and looks forward to the latest three trends in beverage consumption.
Consumers pursue taste and health
The beverage market will break trillions
In the past three years, the consumption scale of the beverage industry has gradually expanded and is expected to exceed 1.3 trillion in 2024, and the consumption growth rate has reached four times that of the overall beverage and food industry.
The influx of online consumers has become the main driving force.
According to the report, the number of consumers and the frequency of consumption in the beverage industry on Tmall platform in 2021 are both on the rise, driving the growth of overall consumption.
On the other hand, the entry of many new brands and the renewal of products of old brands have also increased competition in the beverage market, and gradually promoted market innovation.
Especially in the past two years, the number of domestic brands has increased, occupying more than 70% of the seats.
In the matter of drinking, consumers are no longer satisfied with simply quenching their thirst, but are pursuing a better taste bud experience and higher-order health needs.
Popular taste beverages such as sparkling water and tea beverages are "legitimately popular." After consumers are becoming more concerned about the health of beverages, plant protein beverages and pure fruit and vegetable juices also occupy a place in the market.
Beverage consumption covers more scenarios
Post-95s become a new driving force for growth
In recent years, with the extension of beverage consumption scenes, home stocking, outdoor ready-to-drink, banquet sharing, and exercise and fitness have become new scenes of consumer beverage demand. New demands have driven the continuous expansion of the online beverage market, and the number of consumers has continued to increase. Penetrate the big food industry.
From the perspective of gender consumption, women have become the core group in the beverage market with a high proportion and high growth rate; from the perspective of age groups, the young generation after 1995 is the main increase group driving the growth of the beverage market.
Among this group of people, there is a clear downward trend in consumption, which is mainly manifested in the higher proportion and growth rate of consumption in third- and fourth-tier cities and below.
Young consumers have outstanding performance in the repurchase rate and repurchase frequency, and the growth rate of the number of high-frequency repurchase after 1995 is far ahead, and the high-frequency consumption mentality has gradually become prominent.
The consumption growth rate of post-90s consumers on various beverages is higher than that of the overall population, and the younger generation especially has a soft spot for sparkling water.
After the consumption mentality has further matured and the products have become more scene-oriented and segmented, young people are more willing to include pure fruit and vegetable juice beverages and functional beverages in their pockets.
Gen Z prefers superimposed taste
Cutting-edge white-collar workers love sugar-free beverages
The report also pointed out that the beverage market is gradually showing three new consumer trends of "three-dimensional taste, health upgrade, and emotional resonance".
From the perspective of taste, in recent years, the consumption of sparkling water has gradually increased, and new flavors based on various fruit flavors continue to emerge.
At the same time, a variety of innovative sparkling water categories have also emerged. Sparkling juice, bubble milk, and bubble tea have been favored by consumers as soon as they are on the market, and they have grown rapidly.
The young generation Z is on the front line of new tastes. They like bubble milk, bubble tea and bubble juice with superimposed texture. They also do not give up the flavorful "happy water". More mature consumers prefer healthier and clearer mouths. Of Paris water, soda water, etc.
And "season-limited" and "season" have also become new formulas for product launches. Season-limited products can not only attract consumers' attention to purchase, but also help brands create explosive items.
In terms of health, as consumers' health awareness has increased, "natural and additive-free" have become the main reason for consumers to purchase healthy drinks.
Pure tea, NFC juice, and real juice tea are very popular among consumers. Real juice tea containing natural real juice is an innovative product that combines real juice and real tea, with amazing growth.
In addition to professional scenes such as sports and fitness, the electrolyte beverages under functional drinks are also popular with consumers in many outdoor and non-sports scenes.
In addition, beverages must also be able to "snap" and play, which highlights the trend of emotional marketing.
In the face of consumers' high demands for "fun" attributes, IP co-branding and celebrity endorsements have become a great weapon for breaking the circle of interest.
Creative and emotional connection of IP co-branded beverages in the past three years, the consumption trend has increased 8 times, Disney, Pokémon and other cartoon animation type IP, King of Glory, League of Legends and other gaming e-sports type IP, as well as World Cup, Olympic Games and other sports The IP of the event is on the list.
With the boom in the fan economy, the growth rate of beverage products endorsed by celebrities is significantly higher than the overall beverage market.
From the perspective of consumer groups, Generation Z has a prominent proportion in the consumption of celebrity endorsement products, and products endorsed by popular celebrities such as Times Youth League, Cai Xukun, Wang Jiaer and idol endorsements are especially popular among this group of people.
Text/Reporter Chen Si