The market for enhanced “energy drinks” has grown substantially in both dollars and consumers n the last five years, according to marketing research firm Mintel. And all that energy seems poised to expand beyond beverages into other consumable categories, including candy, chips, cereal and even milk.
According to the Mintel Global New Products Database, there were 187 launches of new energy drink titles in 2007, compared to only 80 in 2003. So far this year Mintel has tracked 270 new entries to the energy drink category.
The firm values the current retail market for these enhanced drinks at $4.8 billion, an increase of more than 400% from the 2003 level.
Back then, only 9% of adult respondents said they drank energy drinks. But 18% of respondents to a Mintel survey this year reported downing energy drinks. The increase was even more notable among teenagers; 35% told the 2008 survey that they drank energy drinks, up from 19% who said so in 2003.
“Energy drinks have quickly become a daily beverage choice,” Mintel senior new product analyst Krista Faron said in a statement. “As more Americans use energy drinks, we’ve seen a rise in products being launched with innovative new ingredients, claims and consumer targets.”
She pointed out that ingredients such as ginseng, guarana and taurine are starting to move from energy drinks into snacks foods. Caffeine too is transitioning into energy bars and cereals such as Sturm Foods’ Morning Spark instant oatmeal. Antioxidants are also appearing in foods such as the Think Green energy bar with blueberries and noni powder.
“Energy is poised to take food in a new direction, giving consumers who need a boost many different ways to get it,” Faron said.
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