Clootrack

The Power of Zero Redefines US Energy Drinks

September 6, 2022

Claymont, Delaware, September 6, 2022 / - A significant number of US consumers are shifting towards zero-sugar, zero-calorie, zero-caffeine energy drinks, and their numbers are growing. Zero-format drinks appeal to most consumers, as they can be consumed without guilt. This aspect was found in the Clootrack study on customer experience in the US Energy Drinks category. The research is based on 31,870 customer reviews spanning a period of 2.5 years.

Consumers are making a healthy choice in seeking sugar and caffeine-free energy drinks, as they look for improved mental clarity, alertness, focus, better athletic performance, weight reduction by delaying fatigue and improving coordination. Their focus on health, fitness & well-being is impacting the dynamics of the beverage industry.

The highly competitive US energy drink market was valued at $14.30 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow to $21.01 billion by 2026 at a CAGR of 6.87%. The sales of energy drinks increased by 26% between 2017 and 2021, as per Statista, indicating the increasing demand for energy drinks.

As per the Clootrack study, the increase in the volume of customer reviews corresponds to the growing sales. It has shown a rise of 36% between January 2020 and June 2022. Brands mentioned by the customers in the study include Alani Nu, Aspire, CELSIUS, Crystal Light, EHP Labs, Gatorade, Monster Energy, Red Bull, Rockstar, V8, Zevia, and ZOA.

Key Findings from The Energy Drinks Customer Experience Study:

Key Trends: Rise in customer preference for caffeine-free, sugarless, gluten-free, organic, and vegan energy drinks.
Product Unavailability: 15% of 1,265 customer reviews are concerned over the unavailability of energy drinks in grocery stores and supermarkets. The distribution and supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic had a detrimental impact on the access and unavailability of energy drinks in the neighborhood grocery stores.
Top Category Drivers: 70.32% of 23,306 reviews suggest that customers buy energy drinks due to their taste and flavor.
Most Preferred Flavor: 45.66% of the 10,265 customer reviews prefer unflavored energy drinks.
Gender gap: Male customers reported higher concern around sugar content, size of the energy drink, and caffeine content, while female customers raised issues around the availability of energy drinks.

Dan Gingiss, an international CX keynote speaker and author of "The Experience Maker," had an engaging discussion with Hagen Panton, VP of Global Sales Capability at Nutrabolt, on "What CX Moments In Energy Drinks Category Can Teach Any Brand" in CX See Why show.

Download the complete energy drinks insights report here: https://www.clootrack.com/insights/retail/customer-experience-energy-drinks