In the beverage industry, as the epidemic has raised people’s awareness of immune health, people’s interest in probiotic beverages has increased significantly, which has provided assistance for probiotic beverages.
Experts pointed out that with people’s high attention to health and immunity, probiotics drinks are proving to be an important part of consumers’ daily life.
Since probiotics can help restore the natural balance of the intestinal tract, and there are 70-80% immune cells in the intestinal tract, attention to the protection of the body has undoubtedly promoted the development of this beverage category. The FMCG Gurus probiotics survey in 2022 pointed out that probiotics and immunity are closely related. 71% of the consumers interviewed said that they use probiotics products because they help strengthen the immune system.
Chicago Technomic pointed out that people’s overall interest in health is increasing, leading to the emergence of many functional ingredients and products, including probiotics drinks. According to Technomic’s 2022 Healthy Diet Consumer Trend Report, 21% of consumers will look for functional ingredients. In addition, 31% of consumers said that they were willing to pay more for food or drink to help digestion.
Fermented foods and beverages are expected to become a trend in 2023. This trend, combined with the rise of functional ingredients, will help promote the development of probiotic beverages.
As consumers become more and more interested in beverages that enhance immunity and digestive system health, the probiotics market will only expand. For example, Innova Market Insights pointed out in 2022: “From April 2019 to March 2022, the number of beverages with immune and health effects launched in the United States increased, with a CAGR of 57%.”
Although probiotics have become the mainstream for a period of time, people’s interest in probiotics is growing, and probiotics have gained new life. In 2022, the global Google search volume of pre-biological agents and post-biological agents increased by about 22% (Imbibe Proprietary Data, 2022).
Health attributes attract consumers of all ages
More and more consumers are seeking drinks beneficial to overall health. This interest and awareness of immune and intestinal health permeates all consumer groups.
Probiotic beverages have attracted health-conscious adults of all ages. These beverages “seem to attract more elderly people of Generation X and Baby Boomers. Generation Z and millennial consumers have greater consumption awareness of probiotics. The existence of children is also a factor. Families with children under 12 and adolescents (12 to 17 years old) have a higher index of probiotics purchase, which is another factor for the success of probiotics beverages.”
Expansion opportunities
With the increasing demand for probiotic beverages, experts emphasized that in the current economic environment, the probiotic beverage market may face various challenges. The overall challenge is to maintain the concept of affordable price points and effectiveness. If the price is too high and consumers do not realize that they have obtained obvious benefits, theoretically, this may lead to a slowdown in the growth of this category.
Stimulating consumers’ interest in such products is also very important for maintaining consumers’ participation in innovation. “Considering the global supply chain problems, we found that the number of new products of probiotic beverages has declined.”
It is beneficial for the industry to provide more frequent promotional activities. It provides consumers with an opportunity to choose to enter this category because of the promotion price. “
In addition, as the mass market retailers are currently winning the channel battle for probiotic beverages, experts emphasized the importance of all retail channels to provide the correct varieties and prices for target consumers. “This not only helps to maintain positive sales, but also helps to increase household penetration.”
Information source: https://www.bevindustry.com/articles/95597-immune-health-benefits-helps-probotic-beverages-appeal-to-diverse-consumer-groups
Post time: Feb-02-2023