Soft drinks in 2024: The big picture
In off- and on-trade terms, current value growth exceeded volume growth across soft drinks in Bulgaria in 2024. While differentials in growth terms were slower than in 2023 as the rate of inflation and price rises slowed, unit prices increments remained significant amid higher costs of ingredients/raw materials and labour, as well as supply chain issues.
2024 key trends
Key trends featured healthy lifestyles, with healthier product compositions, especially reduced sugar content, driving purchases in many soft drinks categories, despite their higher unit prices than regular variants. This was visible in spring bottled water, functional bottled water, sports drinks and reduced sugar energy drinks and reduced sugar RTD tea.
Competitive landscape
Coca-Cola HBC Bulgaria remained the clear leading player in soft drinks in off-trade volume and value share terms in 2024. The company was present in most categories, from carbonates, bottled water and juice to RTD tea, energy drinks and sports drinks.
Retailing developments
While small local grocers continued to dominate off-trade volume and value shares in soft drinks at the end of the review period, some modern grocery retailers gained ground. Price promotions and discount offers pushed off-trade volume and value sales in supermarkets and discounters, which, unlike small local grocers and hypermarkets, saw share rises in 2024.
Foodservice vs retail split
Foodservice establishments continued to benefit from reduced VAT (value-added tax) of 9% on soft drinks, which was extended until the end of 2024. This shielded, to some extent, consumers from price increases in the on-trade channel.
What next for soft drinks?
Soft drinks in Bulgaria is projected to see a moderate off-trade volume CAGR and strong on-trade volume CAGR over the forecast period. Rising product prices, but also innovation and new product development along the lines of health and wellness and indulgence, are set to maintain faster, if only slightly, off- and on-trade value (constant 2024 prices) CAGRs.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Soft Drinks industry in Bulgaria with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to the following key categories, where applicable:
- Bottled Water
- Carbonates
- Concentrates
- Juice
- RTD Coffee
- RTD Tea
- Energy Drinks
- Sports Drinks
- Asian Speciality Drinks
If you're in the Soft Drinks industry in Bulgaria, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Soft Drinks in Bulgaria report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Soft Drinks in Bulgaria?
- To what extent are health considerations impacting consumption of Soft Drinks in Bulgaria?
- How are changing social attitudes and legislation (eg sugar tax) reshaping demand and consumption?
- How are changing demographics (for example, an ageing or predominantly young population) determining consumption of Soft Drinks in Bulgaria?
- Which are the leading brands in Soft Drinks in Bulgaria?
- What potential exists for multinational or domestic soft drinks companies to expand in Bulgaria?
- How are products distributed in Soft Drinks in Bulgaria?
- How is the rise of e-commerce changing the retail and competitive landscape?
- How have home seclusion and social distancing measures following COVID-19 impacted sales of Soft Drinks?
- How are sustainability issues, such as environmentally-friendly packaging, legislation on recyclability, or the amount of plastic in bottles, impacting the soft drinks industry?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
Soft Drinks in Bulgaria
Soft drinks in 2024: The big picture
2024 key trends
Competitive landscape
Retailing developments
Foodservice vs retail split
What next for soft drinks?
Fountain sales in Bulgaria
DISCLAIMER
Bottled Water in Bulgaria
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Carbonated bottled water gains momentum from health positioning and marketing support
New pack sizes to meet consumers’ needs and preferences
Rich domestic offer in spring bottled water
Bright outlook for bottled water amid health and new product development trends
Bulk purchase trend augurs well for retail e-commerce
Research and development investments to stand out from the crowd
Carbonates in Bulgaria
KEY DATA FINDINGS
A still difficult economic situation continues to dampen demand
Reduced sugar positioning remains the key growth driver
Lemonade/lime benefits from new launches with natural ingredients in 2024
Reduced sugar carbonates to shape manufacturer and consumer responses
Investments in taste, packaging and promotions to spur interest
Cocktail trend to push the demand tonic water and mixers
Concentrates in Bulgaria
KEY DATA FINDINGS
The liquid format is more robust amid declining demand
Weak distribution, maturity and strong alternatives beset powder concentrates
Energy boost products offer some respite for powder concentrates
Affordability to sustain a demand amid a gloomy outlook
Modern retailing to gain traction in the forecast period
Sustainable and healthier aspects offer points of differentiation
Concentrates Conversions
Juice in Bulgaria
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Economic factors continue to help shape demand
Coconut water leverages novelty and health positioning to gain momentum
Affordable prices boost the performance of juice drinks
Juice to see push-pull factors
Improving economic conditions to challenge the rise of private label
Health and wellness to increase its weight in juice
RTD Coffee in Bulgaria
KEY DATA FINDINGS
RTD coffee struggles to take off amid high prices and on-trade competition
High seasonality limits consumption
RTD coffee suffers from a limited array of brands
Push-and-pull factors for RTD coffee in the forecast period
On-the-go lifestyles favour forecourt retailers
The potential for on-trend premiumisation remains in RTD coffee
RTD Tea in Bulgaria
KEY DATA FINDINGS
RTD tea continues to gain momentum despite a still difficult economic climate
RTD tea loses some health and wellness shine
Seasonality and convenience inform new launches
Retail distribution developments anticipated in RTD tea
New entrants and health-orientated novelties to spur the category
RTD tea to face strong competition within soft drinks in the forecast period
Energy Drinks in Bulgaria
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Energy drinks has yet to take off fully
Players focus development on reduced sugar energy drinks
Manufacturers use modern marketing methods to attract young adults
Reduced sugar and natural or functional aspects to shape development and growth
Impending legislation threatens energy drinks
Rising health consciousness is set to harm the perception of energy drinks
Sports Drinks in Bulgaria
KEY DATA FINDINGS
High prices and limited availability maintain a ceiling on category potential
Improving but still underdeveloped distribution network for sports drinks
Evolution brings attention from a younger audience
Sports drinks is set to benefit from a more active and informed consumer base
Internal and external competition to grow
E-commerce is set to develop and grow in sports drinks
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Soft Drinks
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- Carbonated Natural Mineral Bottled Water
- Carbonated Spring Bottled Water
- Carbonated Purified Bottled Water
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- Still Flavoured Bottled Water
- Sparkling Flavoured Bottled Water
- Functional Bottled Water
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- Still Natural Mineral Bottled Water
- Still Spring Bottled Water
- Still Purified Bottled Water
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- Regular Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Carbonates
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- Regular Cola Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Cola Carbonates
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- Regular Non-Cola Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Non-Cola Carbonates
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- Regular Lemonade/Lime
- Reduced Sugar Lemonade/Lime
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- Regular Tonic Water/Mixers/Other Bitters
- Reduced Sugar Tonic Water/Mixers/Other Bitters
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- Regular Orange Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Orange Carbonates
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- Regular Other Non-Cola Carbonates
- Reduced Sugar Other Non-Cola Carbonates
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- Liquid Concentrates
- Powder Concentrates
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- Not from Concentrate 100% Juice
- Reconstituted 100% Juice
- Coconut and Other Plant Waters
- Juice Drinks (up to 24% Juice)
- Nectars
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- RTD Coffee
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- Carbonated RTD Tea and Kombucha
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- Regular Still RTD Tea
- Reduced Sugar Still RTD Tea
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- Regular Energy Drinks
- Reduced Sugar Energy Drinks
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- Regular Sports Drinks
- Reduced Sugar Sports Drinks
- Asian Speciality Drinks
Soft Drinks
This is the aggregation of the following categories; Carbonates, Fruit/vegetable juice, Bottled water, Functional drinks, Concentrates, RTD tea, RTD coffee and Asian speciality drinks.
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This report originates from Passport, our Soft Drinks research and analysis database.
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