This has been a tiring year of video calls, home kit meals, and overall just slowing down. With more focus on the home and less ability to go out and have a drink with friends, we've begun to see a growing trend in the world of beverages. So, as we ring in the new year, let's lift our glasses and see what trends are bubbling to the surface.

New Expectations From What Beverages Can Do

HEALTH

Our idea of what juice is and what it does seems to be changing quite a lot. A cross-generational interest in healthy eating and an increased skepticism towards sugar is encouraging the production of ever-more health-conscious soft drinks. Additionally, a shift towards alcohol moderation and sober curious lifestyles has gained momentum during the pandemic, giving us lots of new cocktail-inspired beverage options. Lastly, titration has become an increasingly viable option for ‘dosing’ nutrients, such as caffeine boosters and flavor packets.

New Packaging Forms Follow Need

PACKAGING

In addition to the beverages itself, juice packaging is also experiencing a movement of its own. Beverage giants are adopting eco-aligned packaging solutions in a bid to reduce plastic and glass waste, and novel business models and product categories are emerging from a collective desire to reduce packaging waste, especially as more beverages are being consumed out of the house, with Covid bringing about new rituals in eco-friendly packaging for delivery.

Gen-Z Defining New Flavor Narratives

FLAVOR

So what do the young-ins think of juice? Thanks to their exposure to a more diverse palette of global flavors from a young age, many teens and 20-somethings display a heightened interest in bold, regional flavors and textures, opting for drinks that combine their enthusiasm for both food and travel, packaged in Instagrammable brightly colored and graphic packaging.

We here at A.I. fully expect juice to continue to evolve in new and interesting directions, as well as bleed into other lifestyle-oriented product and brand territories. We also expect other consumer categories to see similar shake-ups as the Gen-Z consumer preferences, values, and lifestyles proliferate.

Thank you for spending some time with us! Please do stay in touch and keep on the lookout for future dispatches from our Insights and Strategy outfit here at Astro.

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