Almost half of UK households bought into the adult soft drinks category in the past year, sending value sales soaring 22.7% to £355.7m on volumes up 15.5% [Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 9 September 2018].

This was partly down to more households buying into the adult soft drinks category this year, with penetration up by 0.3%. 

The rise in average price from £1.90 per litre to £1.93, which was triggered by the sugar levy in April, was another factor contributing to value growth. 

"The increase in prices seen so far may be driven by products being eligible for the levy, and therefore being forced to pass this on to consumers," says Kantar Worldpanel analyst Marianna Avgousti. "If prices continue to rise, this is likely to have an impact on consumers who are already looking to balance household budgets." 

Only squash and cola have become less expensive, with average price decreases of 1.8% and 4.6% respectively, due to an increase in spend on promotion. 

Squash is the fastest-growing sector, albeit from a much smaller base, a performance Rabobank's senior beverages analyst Francois Sonneville puts partially down to the CO2 shortage. Many squash brands are also offering healthy alternatives in a bid to dodge the sugar tax.