Carlsberg Britvic releases Soft Drinks Review
Carlsberg Britvic’s Soft Drinks Review 2025 has aptly renamed gen z the ‘hydration generation’.
Brits spent £100.8bn on eating and drinking out in foodservice establishments in 2024, a rise of 3.7% on 2023 and 5.1% on 2019, reports Carlsberg Britvic's Soft Drinks Review 2025. What’s more, soft drinks are helping to bring the buzz back to the sector, most notably for generation z, by fulfilling a widening range of consumer demands: refreshment, indulgence, functional health benefits and more.
Gen z accounts for 15% of the population (more than 10m people) and so the foodservice industry can’t afford to ignore this demographic. Carlsberg Britvic's Soft Drinks Review 2025 has aptly renamed them the ‘hydration generation’, due to the significant role it is playing in the growth of the sector. Carlsberg Britvic identifies that operators can unlock substantial new growth by rising to the challenges outlined in its latest annual report and driving additional opportunities by creating excitement through their soft drinks and low- and no-alcohol offering.
Chris Pratt, VP sales on-trade for Carlsberg Britvic, said: “Despite the marked differences we have come to associate with this younger generation – namely their attitudes to drinking alcohol and the impact that this is having on the industry – we believe that the opportunities far outweigh this. Our latest Soft Drinks Review is a must-read for all foodservice operators to help them better understand the ‘hydration generation’, what they’re looking for from a soft drinks perspective and, as a result, reap the rewards.”
Health consciousness
The review also shines a light on the more holistic approach to health that is being adopted by gen z. With a positive view of sugar and fat, concentrating on macros and overall health and nutrition, this younger generation is less likely to be swayed by diet, sugar or fat-free claims; only 12% of generation z claim to follow low-sugar diets, compared to an average of 23% and 27% of people aged 18 to 24 claim to be teetotal, with 52% reporting drinking less than last year.
The Carlsberg Britvic Soft Drinks review is available to download here.
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