Soft drinks became the fastest-growing segment in the Russian market in 2024: growth in monetary terms amounted to more than 26%, while in physical terms the sphere increased by 14%, the Nielsen analytical company calculated for RIA Novosti.
"Soft drinks (sodas, energy drinks, drinking water, fruit juices, iced tea and others) have become the fastest growing industry in the FMCG market in 2024. In monetary terms, their sales increased by 26.4%, which exceeds the dynamics of any other industry in the market. Faster growth rates are also noticeable in physical terms, where sales of soft drinks increased by 14.1%," the study says.
It is noted that against this background, the share of soft drinks sales increased from 10.5% to 11.1% in the omnichannel market structure.
According to analysts, beverage sales accelerated primarily due to increased demand in the hotter weather that was observed in the summer of 2024. So, in some months of summer, the temperature in the largest cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod - exceeded last year's level by 5 degrees at once, which contributed to the activation of sales of such goods as drinking water, iced tea, soda and more.
In addition, another significant factor for the soft drinks industry is the replenishment of shelves with non-standard novelties, for example, flavoring products. This trend is noticeable in several large categories at once: cold tea, drinking water and carbonated drinks.
However, it is noted that the most striking example is the energy industry, where drinks, including those with exotic combinations, were launched during the year. As a result, sales of energy drinks with flavors doubled the average pace of their category and increased by 34% in physical terms.
"In general, soft drinks entered the top 5 FMCG industries in 2024 in terms of the highest number of new launches: they accounted for almost 5% of the new products," commented Saltanat Nysanova, Nielsen Customer Relations Director.
Source: