Off-trade carbonates sales declined in 2021, with the category reverting to the downward consumption trend seen in years before the COVID-19 crisis, following a brief recovery in 2020 driven by the transfer of the on-trade consumption to off-trade channels due to home seclusion. Off-trade channels catering for the on-the-go consumption such as convenience stores and kiosks saw a partial recovery in 2021, while supermarkets and hypermarkets saw a decline of their sales as consumers’ mobility gradually returned to patterns similar to their pre-pandemic habits.
As they seek to offset falling volume sales in carbonates and growing competition from other soft drinks categories perceived as healthier, manufacturers’ strategies increasingly focus on premiumisation to improve the health perception of their brands. Leading local brands such as Ramseier and Rivella have continued to capitalise on their positioning offering natural ingredients and strong sustainability credentials.
Although Coca-Cola Beverages Suisse remained by far the largest player in carbonates, the company saw its lead eroded in 2021, due to its reliance on the declining cola carbonates category and as it is being undermined by Swiss consumers increasingly favouring domestically-produced carbonates over global brands, which supports the largest local players, Rivella and Ramseier. Grey imports from EU markets of Coca-Cola brands, sometimes sourced by some Swiss retailers and offered at lower prices than products sourced directly from Coca-Cola Beverages Suisse in Switzerland, creates additional challenges.
Off-trade sales of carbonates are expected to remain negative in the forecast period, as a growing number of consumers are likely to seek to reduce their sugar intake from soft drinks, creating challenges for manufacturers, as carbonates are often perceived as containing more sugar than other soft drinks. The gradual recovery of the on-trade channel is also expected to further dampen growth prospects for off-trade sales.
The growing demand for premium domestic carbonates brands with a positioning geared towards natural ingredients and sustainability is expected to continue shaping new product launches and company strategies. With carbonates companies increasingly adopting recycled PET bottles, packaging innovations to improve sustainability are expected to focus on increasing recycling rates by helping to boost the proportion of plastic bottles that are returned to retailers under the returnable bottle schemes.
Although the growing awareness among consumers of the high sugar content of many carbonates is expected to encourage consumers and retailers to favour other soft drinks categories perceived as healthier, notably RTD tea and flavoured bottled water, this also brings opportunities for carbonates manufacturers to continue adapting their assortment to offer more reduced sugar variants. The imposition of additional taxes on sugary drinks is likely to remain in public debate, although these have not been approved either by the national government or by cantons.
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Carbonates
Sweetened, non-alcoholic drinks containing carbon dioxide are included here. All carbonated products containing fruit juice (“sparkling juices”) are included here, unless they are tea-based (these are included in carbonated RTD tea) or carbonated Energy drinks, which are included in Energy Drinks. Carbonated bottled water is also excluded. Carbonates are an aggregation of cola carbonates and non-cola carbonates, whether regular or low calorie. Euromonitor International includes both naturally and artificially-sweetened carbonates.
See All of Our DefinitionsThis report originates from Passport, our Carbonates research and analysis database.
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