Adult soft drinks

Source: Unsplash

By Rob Brown (rob_j_a_brown@hotmail.com)

Publishing: 6 December 2025

Copy deadline: 21 November 2025

Submissions deadline: 14 November 2025

Just a few years ago, adult soft drinks often mimicked booze by offering sophisticated flavours and packaging – to allow people to eschew alcohol at social occasions without feeling excluded. Nowadays, however, temperate drinking is dominated by the low & no category.

  • So, where does that leave adult soft drinks?
  • How have adult soft drinks evolved amid the rise of the low & no market?

Staking out turf

  • What is an adult soft drink these days? Which brands exemplify the category.
  • To what extent do adult soft drinks compete with low & no beverages?
  • Who are the established players in this category – and who are the challengers?
  • Which types of adult soft drinks have done particularly well in the last year – and why? What trends do they tap?
  • How do prices compare with other soft drinks – and with low & no options?

Rebrands and reformulations

  • Have any products been reformulated or rebranded in the past year – and if so, why?
  • How important is health for adult soft drink consumers? And how is it expected to shape the future of the category?
  • What other consumer needs are likely to be met in the coming year?

Innovations

  • We will profile four new products or ranges, ideally ones that have not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each.

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