Abstract
The sugar-free food and beverage industry includes a wide range of products. For the purposes of this report, Mintel analyzes the four major segments: carbonated beverages, gum, chocolate confectionery, and non-chocolate confectionery.
To increase sales, sugar-free food and beverage manufacturers will need to focus on the many reasons consumers choose sugar-free items, and incorporate other value-adds into their product offerings. This report answers many questions manufacturers need to be asking, including:
- Why is the “creamy dessert sector” a promising one in terms of new product development?
- What marketing messages do the most successful sugar-free soda brands share?
- At what age do consumers graduate from sugared gum to sugar-free gum and how can segment players benefit from this knowledge?
- Why is the sugar-free chocolate segment hurting? Does the Dove brand have the power to single-handedly turn the segment around?
- What indications are there that consumers are ready for more functional sugar-free products?
- How might the phrase “sugar demolition” successfully and powerfully differentiate one brand of sugar-free products from the other?
- What relationship do sugar-free eaters have with the brand Splenda, and is it genuine?
Sales of sugar-free products in these four segments increased 42% between 2001 and 2006, or 26% in constant 2006 prices. But, these products still lack the popularity of their sugared counterparts. Makers of sugar-free foods could boost sales of sugarless products with campaigns that promote the benefits of low/no sugar diets. Indeed, there is evidence suggesting consumers are extremely receptive to food and drink categories that promise specific health benefits. However, most of the players in the sugar-free arena also manufacture sugared versions of food and drinks, and would not want to promote sugar-free products at the expense of their “bread and butter” lines.
This report contains US IRI InfoScan data.
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