The fruit juice market - United Kingdom

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

A fruit juice is a liquid or drink made from fruit which can be natural (100% fruit-based), or factory produced through a mixture of fruit, water and other chemicals.

As a result, it is possible to segment the market according to the amount of fruit that the juice contains. On the basis of this criterion, the market is divided into four categories:

• Pure juices: fruit juices whose substance is entirely composed of pressed fruit without the addition of carbohydrates or additives;
• Smoothies: these are drinks obtained from fruit pureed without any other additives;
• Concentrated juices: these are fruit juices produced from fruit and water. The main objective of the concentration is to improve and simplify the transport, storage and preservation of the juice;
• Fruit nectars: these are fruit juices or fruit pureed mixed with water and sugar.

The global juice market is expected to remain stable going forward. Half of the consumption is related to juice drinks with up to 24% fruits. Around 25% is 100% natural juice and the rest is related to nectars and coconut water.

Globally, the market structure is fragmented; Coca-Cola and Pepsi are market leaders with 17% of sales in 2019. After this, all players

In the United Kingdom, volume sales fell by 3% in 2019, however, value sales were up by 1%. In other words, premiumization is a prevailing trend, as consumers tend to buy more high priced juices since these are often associated with healthier and more local products. Indeed, products revolving around botanical ingredients which are rich in vitamins are at the forefront of product innovation.

According to Kantar, most consumers in the UK drink juice two or three times a week.

The market structure in the UK is relatively concentrated: the five largest companies accounted for 52.6% of sales in 2019. Tesco held the largest share.