COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
San Benedetto and Coca-Cola gain share as Gatorade falters
In 2025, Acqua Minerale San Benedetto SpA, with its Energade brand, solidified its position as the leading player in sports drinks in Italy in off-trade volume terms, maintaining a substantial and growing lead over Coca-Cola HBC Italia Srl's Powerade. Conversely, Coca-Cola HBC Italia managed to maintain its leadership in off-trade value terms, which is a direct result of Powerade's considerably higher pricing strategy compared to the leader.
Prime Hydration's strategic marketing and distribution drive share growth in Italy
In 2025, Enervit SpA, the company behind Prime Hydration, was the fastest-growing player in sports drinks in Italy in off-trade volume terms, and saw actual volume growth in a declining category. Launched in 2024, Prime Hydration rapidly captured significant demand from young consumers, largely propelled by an aggressive marketing campaign.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Sports Drinks industry in Italy 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.
If you're in the Sports Drinks industry in Italy, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Sports Drinks in Italy 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 Sports Drinks in Italy?
- To what extent are health considerations impacting consumption of Sports Drinks in Italy?
- 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 Sports Drinks in Italy?
- Which are the leading brands in Sports Drinks in Italy?
- What potential exists for multinational or domestic soft drinks companies to expand in Italy?
- How are products distributed in Sports Drinks in Italy?
- 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 Sports 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?
Sports Drinks in Italy - Category analysis
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Premiumisation masks volume decline in sports drinks amidst health concerns
Prime Hydration drives value growth while health concerns and competition impact volumes
Sports drinks manufacturers prepare for sugar tax with zero sugar products
Value growth to slow as competition intensifies and Prime Hydration's impact fades
High protein claims likely to emerge to revitalise sports drinks
San Benedetto and Coca-Cola gain share as Gatorade falters
Prime Hydration's strategic marketing and distribution drive share growth in Italy
Supermarkets retains its distribution lead in sports drinks despite shrinking shelf space and volume decline
Vending and retail e-commerce outperform in a challenging environment
Soft Drinks in Italy - Industry Overview
Soft drinks sees modest growth amidst health trends, channel shifts, and price rises
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Mixed fortunes, with health trends and competition reshaping soft drinks
Demand for reduced sugar products surges despite sugar tax postponement
Functionality and wellness drive innovation in soft drinks, reshaping the dynamics
Energy drinks and functional bottled water to drive modest growth
Italian sugar tax set to reshape soft drinks, driving a shift to reduced sugar options
Functionality and premiumisation set to dominate soft drinks trends
San Benedetto leads in volume terms, while Coca-Cola leads value sales
waterdrop revitalises powder concentrates with dynamic innovation and health focus
Supermarkets retains its lead in soft drinks through promotions and product range
Busy lifestyles fuel rapid growth in vending and retail e-commerce in soft drinks
“Poveritivo” and price sensitivity: On-trade adapts to challenging economic climate
Fountain sales in Italy
Trends
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Sports Drinks
- Regular Sports Drinks
- Reduced Sugar Sports Drinks
Sports Drinks
The choice of sports drink usually depends on the provision of fluids, carbohydrates or both. Included into this subsector are isotonic, hypotonic and hypertonic sports drinks. Isotonic are products that replace lost body fluids, electrolytes (sodium, potassium and chlorides) and glucose in similar concentrations to existing body fluid without causing either swelling or shrinkage of cells. These products usually contain about 5-8% carbohydrate and are intended to be consumed during exercise and/or heat exposure. Hypotonic this product is a weaker solution than your body fluid. These drinks contain less carbohydrate and therefore have lower osmolality (fewer dissolved particles than blood). These drinks help the body to speed up water absorption and are best used when you need urgent fluid replacement, as in after exercise. These drinks are not the best for energy replacement. Hypertonic - this drink is a stronger solution than your body fluid. These drinks are designed to replace and maintain energy levels during exercise of at least one hour. They are absorbed slowly and therefore are not appropriate for fluid replacement. Leading brands in off-trade volume include Gatorade, Powerade and Aquarius. This is the aggregated total of regular and reduced sugar Sports Drinks
See all of our definitionsWhy buy this report?
- Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders
- Track key industry trends, opportunities and threats
- Inform your marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales and supply functions
This report originates from Passport, our Sports Drinks research and analysis database.
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