Health and functionality continues to drive the category as consumers move away from fizz to fruit juices, juice drinks and bottled water. Sports and energy products are also selling well.
But brand Innocent (fittingly) can do no wrong. It has jumped up the Checkout Nielsen Top 100 table to 33 and is now the seventh largest soft drink with 45.6% growth last year, having overtaken both Volvic (35) and Ribena (34).
Actimel has stabilised its 2006 decline with 2007 sales flat. Evian (59) has outperformed the market but it is being chased by Schweppes (61), which has broken through the £100m barrier for the first time.
Sports and energy brands Lucozade (7) and Red Bull (27) continue to storm ahead with double-digit growth (13.8% and 22.5% respectively) while the newer Powerade is putting on a sprint with 36.5% growth.
