Fortified/Functional Beverages in Venezuela

PROSPECTS

A mature category struggling with a negative business environment

FF beverages was the most mature category and largest value maker in health and wellness beverages in 2017. The category used to witness the most new product launches but an adverse business environment characterised by the high price of imported inputs and shortages of raw materials limited its development in 2017.

FF powder concentrates has room for expansion before reaching maturity

FF beverages comprised mainly FF soft drinks, with FF sports drinks the leader in retail value terms, although being a mature category with narrow innovation restricted to limited editions in Gatorade’s portfolio. Measured in retail volume terms, FF fruit/vegetable juice was the largest category, competing against FF powder concentrates.

FF plant-based hot drinks becomes a milk substitute

In Venezuela, FF other hot drinks are milk complements, whether they are based on rice, malt or chocolate. While they are supposed to be prepared by mixing them with powder milk, a new trend emerged in 2016.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Gatorade remains the leading brand

Pepsi-Cola Venezuela CA remained the leader in FF beverages based on the continuous and strong leadership of Gatorade within FF sports drinks in 2017. However, Gatorade’s retail value share was approximately 30% lower than in 2013 due to the rise of brands of FF fruit-flavoured powder concentrates such as Tang (Mondelez) and Nesfruta (Nestlé), FF juice drinks (Del Valle from Coca-Cola) and FF nectars (Carabobo by INLACA).

Impoverished Venezuelans choose affordability over brand name

According to industry sources, all Venezuelan households – regardless of income level – have at least one type of FF other hot drinks in the pantry. FF plant-based and malt-based hot drinks dominated the category and the leading brand in 2017 was Nestlé Venezuela SA’s Cerelac.

Few opportunities for growth as the category is largely mature

Some degree of dynamism can be achieved by the introduction of new formats such as individual packaging for on-the-go consumption. The development of FF beverages with key functional ingredients, such as coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, collagen and ginseng, which are not developed in Venezuela, is not expected over the forecast period, because it is likely that manufacturers will continue to face supply chain restrictions.

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