and in particular energy drinks have benefited from providing consumers with a tangible benefit for relatively little outlay. For example, according to Mintel consumer research, they help over a quarter of users “to get through a busy day”, while almost one in five (19 per cent) of these drinkers view them as good for endurance during exercise. Michael Clark, head of sales for
Ultrabody Nutrition, has been watching the energy and sports drink phenomenon gain ground over time and attributes its success in the health and fi tness industry to a number of factors: “Membership sales and member retention have been so tough through the recession that operators have focused far more on driving secondary spend to create additional revenue. As part of that focus, they’ve become better retailers than in the past. Supplement suppliers have seen this change in operator focus and have
reacted accordingly, with more targeted products, especially in the female supplementation category, as well as adopting a more supportive approach for operators in terms of marketing and promotions.” Clark argues that the
drinks can be positioned as a nutritional aid. “The end user has been seeking more cost-effective and less time- consuming ways of improving their diet and nutritional intake, and sports supplementation can often provide a very quick, cost-effective and genuinely healthy way to fi t the right nutritional balance into a daily routine,” he says. Contributing to this
healthier trend, Lucozade Sport has recently launched Lucozade Sport Lite, a new low-calorie sports drink aiming to appeal to everyday exercisers and social sports participants who would otherwise be put off by calorie and health concerns. Each 500ml bottle contains only 50 calories and manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has high hopes for its sales potential. Teresa Smyth, category development manager for Lucozade Sport, comments: “Many people who exercise do not purchase or consume a sports drink because of calorie content. Lucozade Sport Lite draws on our sports nutrition expertise to meet consumer demand for a low- calorie sports drink.”
THE FLIP SIDE
However, it’s not all good news for the sports and energy drinks market. Mintel’s research shows that a fi fth of energy drinkers do not think the products are
‘good for you’ and energy drinks have been subject to negative PR, particularly about their adverse effect on children. While their growing ‘subversive’ reputation has done no harm at all for sales among younger consumers, it risks alienating an
Low-calorie options are crucial for capturing the health-conscious
increasingly health- and calorie-conscious adult population. The ingredients used in these drinks will increasingly come under the microscope, and new product development has already focused on formulating drinks without artifi cial fl avourings and with more natural and lower-calorie energy-boosting ingredients. Meanwhile, sales of the perennial
favourite exercise hydration beverage – bottled water – have taken a tumble during the recession, with an 8 per cent decline in value sales between 2007 and 2009; consumers have been loathe to pay for something available for a fraction of the cost within their homes. However, bottled water is beginning
to recover, aided by increased consumer confi dence and expenditure as well as
Red Bull managed to attract younger people and led the way for new brands
june 2010 © cybertrek 2010
“SPORTS SUPPLEMENTATION CAN PROVIDE A QUICK, COST-EFFECTIVE AND GENUINELY HEALTHY WAY TO FIT THE RIGHT NUTRIONAL BALANCE INTO A ROUTINE”
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 53
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