How is the energy drink market currently performing?
The energy drink market in the UK is in growth and has been on an upwards trajectory for some time now. We know that as consumers are increasingly on the go with busy lifestyles, energy drinks are a go-to option that offers refreshment as well as functionality. In the UK, the energy drinks sector is worth about £2 billion and is growing at 15 per cent year-on-year. We are also seeing growth in sugar-free energy drinks, with the segment growing 25 per cent in the same period, and 32 per cent in just the last 12 weeks.1 Sugar free now claims nearly 15 per cent of the category share and is forecast to grow 9.2 per cent over the next five years.
What trends are occurring in the sector?
There are a few consumer trends that we see influencing the energy drink category in the UK. The number one consumer need from energy drinks is taste. Energy drinks need to deliver and innovate on flavour. The second is functionality, as I mentioned. Shoppers are looking for additional “better for you” benefits beyond an energy boost from their energy drink selection. This includes added vitamins and minerals, for example, and zero-sugar options as shoppers continue to shift toward drinks that are centred around health and wellbeing. Brands that can offer functional benefits and deliver on flavour are the ones really driving growth in the category.
Can you please give an overview of your brand?
CELSIUS is a functional energy drink that was created to deliver bold flavour and functionality without any sugar or preservatives. It’s packed with essential vitamins including B6, B12 and C to help support the normal function of your immune system, as well as the addition of B2, B3, and B5 to help fight fatigue, and caffeine to help increase alertness and improve concentration. The brand was really born out of the fitness world, getting its start on nutrition store shelves, and formulated for people who live what we have coined as a LIVE FITTM lifestyle. These are “everyday achievers” who want to make the most of everything they do.
CELSIUS launched a new 'core' range in January 2025Photo: Handout
How is your brand currently performing?
CELSIUS is the fastest growing energy drink in the US2. While we only launched in the UK about 18 months ago through our distribution partnership with Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, the momentum we’ve achieved has been fantastic. We have the ambition to challenge this market with a fresh take on energy drinks – from great tastes to new occasions.
Do you have any new product development?
We do and we are very excited about it. This month we’ve launched a new “core” range that reflects the brand’s commitment to drive category growth through continued innovation. We are debuting four, zero sugar, fruit-forward flavours. The flavours are Sparkling Raspberry Peach, Sparkling Mango Lemonade, Sparkling Kiwi Guava, and Sparkling Strawberry Watermelon. Personally, my favourite is Sparkling Mango Lemonade. With the new flavours we are aiming to keep our loyal fans engaged while attracting new shoppers to the brand and the category. The new range not only tastes great, but it looks great too. The cans have a clean, striking design that stands out on shelf and in the chiller, brings something new and exciting to the category, and is aligned with our LIVE.FIT.GO. global brand platform.
The line-up lands on shelves at the perfect time – just as consumers reset routines and refocus their health and wellness goals. We have strategically timed the launch so our retailer customers can capitalise on the seasonal surge in fitness culture and maximise incrementality.
We’ll also be offering our first multipacks to market for the “drink later” occasion in our Sparking Raspberry Peach and Sparkling Mango Lemonade flavours from January.
Photo: Handout
How are you supporting your brand and NPD?
This is an exciting launch, and the new range is available across wholesale, grocery, convenience and out-of-home including gyms. In addition to price-marked packs, we are also offering a multipack for Sparkling Raspberry Peach and Sparkling Mango Lemonade for the first time in the UK and Ireland. Multipacks tap into the “drink later” occasion so a perfect format for consumers to stock up at home.
We will be supporting the CELSIUS range via sampling, consumer activations, retailer competitions and high-impact POS displays. In Q2 we’ll bring that global LIVE.FIT.GO. platform to the UK, which will underpin everything we do from partnerships to advertising campaigns.
How important are independent retailers to your brand?
Independent retailers are essential to our success, and to the growth of the energy category overall. Convenience stores are often the first place shoppers try CELSIUS, so independents play a major role in driving trial and building momentum for the brand.
Independent retailers are a key partner for us, and we’re committed to supporting them with innovative launches and activations that are designed to drive tangible value and sustained category growth. We believe, the brand’s unique positioning, alongside bold flavours and standout cans, bring something genuinely new to the fixture. This, combined with our engaging marketing campaigns, are designed to drive footfall in store, and by stocking the range retailers can tap into one of the fastest-growing segments in soft drinks.
Describe your brand in three words …
Tasty, Fitness, Energy.
[1] Nielsen L52W to 1/11/25
[1] Circana, Total U.S. MULO+C; 2022–2025 YTD (ending 12/10/25). 2025 full-year figure is a projection modelled from YTD trends using run-rate extrapolation. Includes brands with >$500MM in 2022 sales.