Red Bull sales volumes in the UK have slowed for the third consecutive year, according to newly filed accounts at Companies House.
The UK arm of the Austrian-headquartered energy drinks giant grew volumes by 7.5% in the year ended 31 December 2024 – down from 8.7% in the year prior and 21.5% in 2022.
Revenue growth also slowed from last year but remained in double digits – up 12.5% to £668.4m.
After several years of buoyant growth, the UK energy drinks category looks to have plateaued. Sales eked up just 2% on volumes down 0.8% in the 52 weeks to 22 March 2025 [NIQ].
In this context, Red Bull had grown off-trade sales by 8.4% and secured a “record high market share” of 36.8% in the 52 weeks to 4 January 2025, company director João Esteves wrote.
The supplier had outpaced the category “in both volume and value performance, strengthening its position as the UK’s number-one energy drink brand”, he said.
Within the off-trade, retail was the standout performer for Red Bull, Esteves said. Sales climbed 14.3% on the back of “successful investment into field coverage during late 2023”.
The company also “focused heavily on stronger in-store execution” while also growing distribution by 20,000 points.
Three new flavours were launched by Red Bull in 2024 – Pink, Summer Edition Curuba Elderflower and Winter Edition Iced Vanilla Berry.
These launches had helped Red Bull shift an addition 19 million flavoured units, a 30% uplift on 2023, Esteves said.
Flavours now made up 10% off all Red Bull volumes in the off-trade, helping recruit more than 700,000 new shoppers to the brand, he added.
Pre-tax profits at Red Bull UK, meanwhile, climbed by 11.9% to £55.0m.
Marketing highlights for the brand in 2024 included members of the Red Bull Skydive team flying through London’s Tower Bridge in wingsuits in May, and the Red Bull Flying Laps challenge, which saw 127,000 people take part in a Strava challenge to run 5.9km – equivalent to one lap of the Silverstone F1 racecourse, Esteves said.
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