Sales of carbonated beverages in physical terms (in liters) in May increased by 21% compared to May 2024, while juice sales increased by an order of magnitude less by adding 5%, according to data from the Evotor IT company provided to Agroexpert. The price of both juices and soda has increased almost equally over the year.
Cola remains the sales leader among flavors: its share accounted for 27% of total sales of carbonated drinks in May and remained almost unchanged compared to May 2024 (28%). Lemonade is in second place with a 12% share of sales (11% in May 2024).
Among the popular flavors are also "Orange" ― 8% (in May 2024 ― 9%) and "Duchess" with "Pear" with a total share of 9% (unchanged over the year).
The average price of carbonated drinks increased by 11% over the year, to 101 rubles per liter. Juices on average rose in price by 12%, to 133 rubles per liter.
Evotor noted that sales of carbonated drinks, unlike juices, have a pronounced seasonality: growth in summer, fall in autumn and winter: for example, sales in February 2025 were 50% lower than in peak July 2024. But for certain tastes, there are not only seasonal spikes: for example, in December 2024, the share of Cola in sales reached 32%.
As for juices, apple remains the most popular among this category: its share in sales is 25% in physical terms, unchanged over the year. Multifruit juices are in second place with a share of 14% (13% a year ago), and tomato juices are in third (8%, unchanged).
The popularity of orange juice decreased slightly over the year: the share in sales fell to 6% from 8%, while pomegranate juice remained unchanged (3%). The decline in demand for orange juice is most likely due to the high price of this product, said Alla Andreeva, General Director of the Union of Juice, Water and Beverage Producers (Soyuznapitki), recalling the prolonged commodity crisis in the global market of concentrated orange juice.
On the other hand, recent forecasts in Brazil promise a richer citrus harvest this season, making it likely that the cost of raw materials will decrease. But in general, apple and multifruit juices, as well as orange and tomato, usually occupy leading positions in the juice market from year to year, adds the head of the industry union.
The increased demand for soft drinks, juice products and packaged water in May is also understandable: the reason, according to her, could be the abnormally warm weather in some regions at the end of May, which is why the high demand season began earlier than the calendar summer.
"Most likely, this season the taste preferences of customers will remain about the same as last year. At the same time, the Russian consumer of soft drinks is quite actively trying new flavors and is open to new products," she commented to Agroexpert.
Evotor is a major Russian manufacturer of cash registers and software. As of March 2025, more than 1.2 million cash registers of the company have been activated in Russia.
Source: