One thing that’s clearly been energizing the convenience sector is the growth and evolution of the energy drink category, as early pioneers like Red Bull, Rockstar, and Monster have been joined by a cohort that features C4, Celsius, Ghost, Alani Nu and, yes, Bang (now in the clutches of Monster) as well as others that have roots in the fitness channel.
Those brands together accounted for nearly $3 billion in sales, according to NielsenIQ all-channel data supplied by Goldman Sachs analyst Bonnie Herzog, and they are leading to changes in shelf sets across the convenience store channel.
To explore the ways that trend – and other areas where fitness and supplement trends and CPG collide – surfaced at NACS, BevNET editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman spoke with Joshua Schall, a BevNET contributing editor and CPG industry strategist who has long covered that intersection.
A few takeaways from this in-depth interview:
- The growth of the “energy plus” subcategory is creating a bit of a caffeine divide between the high-test energy plus brands – which can go up to around 200 mg of caffeine or more per 12 oz. can vs old line brands, which tend to keep things at around 100-120 for the same size.
- The category is dividing functionally into several subcategories, including nootropic, protein infused, and even appetite suppression
- Hydration is also becoming part of the equation, with brands ramping up their electrolyte formulas and also adding caffeine to pre-workout formulas.