Hot drink innovations in South Africa are primarily focused on new offerings addressing consumer demand for non-animal products, including healthy plant-based alternatives, across chocolate-based, malt-based and other plant-based drinks. While the vegetarian claim in hot drinks is already established, the vegan claim is only just starting to emerge more strongly. However, innovation in the vegan space is largely driven by smaller, albeit known, players, which are pushing their products across a

Choosing foods and drinks which have a positive impact on health has become increasingly important to Chinese consumers. Fortified/functional hot drinks are seen to offer significant health and wellness benefits, and in 2023 there was thus a noticeable increase in consumer interest in various such products. These hot drinks provide a convenient way for individuals to incorporate beneficial ingredients into their daily routine and improve their overall health. In particular, current value sales o

The COVID-19 crisis has left a lasting impact on how New Zealanders work, with remote working now firmly entrenched and many companies downsizing their office footprints and actively encouraging employees to work from home. This has resulted in increasing consumer interest in many claims within health and wellness hot drinks, due to a more engaged and conscious consumer base who are increasingly concerned about the health impact of potentially sedentary and stressful lifestyles. Within coffee, l

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in heightened health and wellness awareness among local consumers in Hong Kong. Although the pandemic was declared over by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in early 2023 many consumers remained focused on reducing their intake of certain ingredients that are deemed detrimental to their health, such as sugar, fat and salt. As such, this trend continued to drive demand for low sugar and no added sugar hot drinks in 2023. This was particularly evident in no sugar c

Because they typically command a premium as compared to standard alternatives, health and wellness hot drinks in Chile continued to face difficult trading conditions in 2023 amidst stubbornly high inflation linked to the global recovery from the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With upward pressure on unit prices persisting and most consumers inclined to exercise greater caution in their spending habits, several of the main categories registered downturns or contractions in retail volu

The launch of the GCC’s first sugar reduction programme in February 2023 in partnership with the UAE Food and Beverage Manufacturing Group, is seeking to promote healthy eating in a market known for its high sugar consumption, and is having a significant impact on hot drinks manufacturers. An 8-week initiative was held in Dubai, which aimed to support food and beverage manufacturers in the region in their efforts to reduce calories and sugar from products. Along with encouraging brands to develo

The health and wellness trend is prominent within hot drinks, with many consumers wanting to prevent medical issues by drinking “better”. Many health and wellness attributes have seen an increase in consumption as a result. The “healthy pleasure” trend in South Korea means that many consumers prioritise health as their central value in food shopping, and derive joy from it. With direct correlations being made between high sugar, salt, or fat intake, and the associated risk of high blood pressure

Health claims have become a significant selling point for hot drinks in Germany, with brands emphasising various benefits such as immune support, enhancing relaxation, digestive health and brain health and memory. The growing demand for functional beverages was one of the most important trends for hot drinks in Germany in 2023. This benefited various health claims linked to tea, which was driven by its health positioning. Traditionally, tea has struggled with its image as a drink to be consumed

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Mexico, consumers have been embracing health and wellness claims, having a revived interest in goods that offer additional wellness benefits. Furthermore, many consumers are looking to reduce ingredients that may harm health in large quantities. These include sugar, fat, salt and caffeine. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of both their mental health and physical health, with many looking to reduce caffeine levels to support gut health, anxiety and s

India faces a critical malnutrition challenge amongst children under five years old. While there has been overall improvement in key indicators, the situation remains severe. Seriously malnourished children face weakened immune systems, potentially leading to a shorter lifespan. The economic impact of this is significant, stressing the healthcare system and hindering the country’s growth. The highest sales of health and wellness hot drinks were therefore accounted for by the immune support claim

Health continues to be top-of-mind for many Japanese consumers. However, the health needs of consumers are becoming more diverse and specific, ranging from weight management to the improvement of gut health, sleep, supplementary nutrients, etc. Consumers continue to pay close attention to the specific health benefits that they want, so they can improve any health-related issues about which they have concerns. As a result, there is a growing need for products that meet individual health concerns.

Demand for instant tea is dampened as Taiwanese consumers shift towards a healthier mindset in light of the COVID-19 crisis. It is a trend for consumers to have their drinks without sugar in order to stay healthy - sugar has become a major focus of the health and wellness trend as it has become strongly associated with a range of health problems and, in particular, the rise in obesity. Thus, instant tea drinkers have shifted from drinking added-sugar instant teas to full-leaf teas.

During 2023, consumers in Poland were looking to seek strong nutritional benefits from the food and drinks they consumed, reaching for health and wellness claims. These included reducing levels of fat, salt and sugar, in addition to looking for goods free from artificial ingredients and sweeteners. With media increasingly discussing the potential dangers of artificial and ultra-processed foods, the natural claim led sales in 2023, remaining the largest area despite declining growth. Retail value

The dietary habits of local consumers are changing due to rising health concerns but also increasing concerns around issues such the environment and animal welfare. This in turn is encouraging a growing number of consumers reduce or cutout animal-based or derived products from their diet, including dairy. In response to this increasing demand there has been a growing availability of vegan and vegetarian hot drinks in Singapore, including within coffee. For example, within instant coffee, Nescafé

Demand for caffeination is high in the US, as consumers seek to power through their busy days. While the most aggressive rises in caffeination have come from the soft drinks space, hot drinks have also seen demand for highly caffeinated products increase. Brands known for their high caffeine levels, such as Death Wish, are performing strongly. However, as the need for caffeinated-driven energy grows, so too does the desire amongst consumers to move against this. The nature of modern life means t

Health and wellness is a growing trend within hot drinks in Poland, with consumers aligning their food and drink choices with healthier lifestyles. Consumers are increasingly looking for low-fat, sugar and salt options while reducing elements they perceive to be harmful. This includes artificial ingredients and sweeteners, accelerating sales of the natural claim. Furthermore, ongoing media discussion surrounding the health risks of ultra-processed food has further driven sales of natural goods.

Tea is popular in Turkey, with most consumers drinking it daily. Most of the tea that is consumed is also produced within the country. According to the World Tea Committee, Turkey has the highest per capita consumption of tea in the world. The tea industry in Turkey has a remarkable heritage, with 830,000 decares of local tea farming, and an annual harvest of 1.35 million tonnes of tea, with 24% of all farms belonging to the public sector. UNESCO even recently added “Turkish tea culture” to the

In 2023, Sweden experienced high inflation rates, impacting buying habits as disposable incomes declined. This led consumers to trade down in areas including hot drinks, leading organic options to see a decline in retail value growth. Despite this drop in growth, organic hot drinks continued to lead retail value sales in 2023, with consumers appreciating the product's alignment with their sustainability and ethical concerns. These products are also typically seen as being of better quality than

In 2023, hot drinks continued to be driven by health and wellness trends that included low sugar content and functional products offering higher specific value. To remain competitive, both small and large hot drinks brands have been introducing new products that align with these trends and cater for consumers' changing needs. While reducing sugar content in hot drinks is essential to meet the demands of health conscious consumers and respond to sugar taxes, introducing functional ingredients suc

Caffeinated products continued to record dynamic growth within hot drinks in 2023, as many local consumers looked to these beverages for an effective energy boost and to remain focused as a result of stress, anxiety and insomnia, resulting from post-pandemic lifestyles and the rising cost of living in the UK. At the same time, as caffeine consumption grows, consumers are paying increasing attention to mitigating caffeine’s negative side effects, substituting some drinking occasions throughout th

Retail sales of hot drinks in general saw a steep decline in 2022 as COVID-19 restrictions were eased and consumers returned to more active lives away from the home, including ordering hot drinks from foodservice outlets. Furthermore, with COVID-19 fears softening the demand for some health and wellness hot drinks also fell. After a tough year most of the key hot drinks categories with health and wellness claims saw a return to growth in current value terms in 2023. With stability returning ther

Organic remained the leading health and wellness claim in hot drinks in Finland in value terms by some distance in 2023. Products with this positioning performed positively in several categories during the year, as in line with rising health-consciousness Finns are becoming more aware of the potentially harmful effects of various preservatives, colourings, flavourings, sweeteners and other additives commonly found in tea, coffee, flavoured powder drinks etc. Similarly, because organic varieties

Despite holding a low overall value sales share within Spanish hot drinks, demand for organic options rose strongly in 2023. The most significant factor limiting stronger demand for organic products is their higher price points compared to standard options. Production costs for organic food and beverages are typically higher because of greater labour input per unit and because a greater diversity of enterprises means economies of scale cannot be achieved. Processing and transportation of relativ

Volume sales increased in the vast majority of health and wellness hot drinks categories in retail volume terms in 2023. This reflects a clear sign of the strong shift towards health and wellness options across hot drinks in Argentina. While the economic crisis and high inflation have put enormous pressure on consumer spending on hot drinks generally, consumers are becoming increasingly intent on prioritising health and wellness concerns when selecting hot drinks. A deep dive into the hot drinks