An endless stream of flavour launches and marketing investment means Sports & Energy Drinks sales are set to surge this summer.
By Sarah Britton
It’s no secret that the Sports & Energy sub-category is fuelling Soft Drinks, which was the only major category to deliver meaningful value and volume growth within UK convenience in 2025, according to a recent report from Talysis.
Sports & Energy makes up over two-fifths of soft drinks value sales within the convenience sector and, with a constant stream of new product and flavour launches, there’s plenty of activity to keep consumers thirsty for more.
Talysis reports that Monster led Soft Drinks’ NPD performance in 2025, accounting for three of the top five new product launches in the category. Based on rate of sale and distribution across the UK convenience channel, Talysis claims that the three standout Monster launches were Lando Norris, Rio Punch and Ultra Fantasy Ruby Red, while Lucozade Sport Jude Ice Kick was also highlighted as a top launch.
“Monster is known for its action-packed innovation pipeline and is delivering greater value and volume growth than any other energy drink brand in GB [Nielsen GB, Total Coverage, L52wks to 24.01.26],” says Kate Abbotson, Senior External Communications Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP).
Within Sports & Energy, Monster delivered the fastest growth (+£92m) and featured in half of the top 20 lines, while Red Bull appeared in six of the top 20, including the top three bestselling SKUs, claims Talysis.
Sports & Energy has accelerated again in 2026, claims the retail data analyst. Year to date (to 1 March 2026), the sub-category’s share of soft drinks stands at 44.4% versus 42.6% in the same period last year. That equates to £254m in Sports & Energy sales year to date versus £230m last year, as the segment continues to outpace the wider category.
Championing cherry
There’s plenty of activity on the NPD front. Rubicon RAW revealed two new variants in March: Cherry Burst and Zero Added Sugar Cherry Raspberry.
Lisa McKenna, Rubicon Brand Director at AG Barr, says: “Rubicon RAW brings a fresh point of difference to the energy fixture, combining big, bold flavours with real fruit juice and natural caffeine to tap into evolving shopper demand.
“With innovation driving 62% of energy category growth last year [Circana, Value Sales, 52 w.e. 24 January, Total Coverage] and demand for cherry-flavoured energy drinks soaring, these new flavours offer retailers a strong opportunity to attract new shoppers, drive incremental sales and increase basket spend.”
She adds that some of the fastest growth in the category is coming from “natural energy” [Circana, Value Sales, 52 w.e. 24 January, Total Coverage].
To drive strong consumer awareness and sustained demand, the brand will be supported throughout 2026 with an enhanced always-on social media campaign reaching 8.8 million consumers.
This will be complemented by high-footfall sampling activity designed to drive trial, encourage repeat purchase and create additional pull-through in store, helping retailers benefit from increased shopper traffic and rate of sale.
Red Bull has also jumped on the cherry choo-choo with its Spring Edition, which launched in February. The Cherry Sakura flavour comes in a white can with subtle pink accents, reflecting the iconic Japanese cherry blossom that it is named after. The cherry taste is described as “floral, refreshing and fruity”, and consumers are already reacting positively to the new flavour, with 78% saying a cherry-flavoured energy drink was appealing [Vypr sample: 106 energy drink consumers, January 2025].
The brand has established a strong shopper base using the accessible 250ml can as the hero price-marked format to drive trial. However, as more shoppers buy into Red Bull Editions, the firm realised that there was an opportunity for a larger pack format too. “For the first time the brand will offer a 473ml PMC format on its Editions range as well as 250ml,” says a spokesperson. “This maintains the entry point for new consumers as well as providing loyal shoppers the opportunity to trade up.”
Red Bull Spring Edition with the taste of Cherry Sakura is a full-sugar variant, and available now, in single 250ml (plain and PMP), 355ml and 473ml (plain and PMP) cans, as well as 4 x 250ml can multipack.
In January, Red Bull launched Co-Driver, Fuelled by Red Bull – a collaborative category approach to the future of soft drinks.
The Soft Drinks category is predicted to almost double in value by 2030, and the traditional soft drinks landscape is evolving. The Co-Driver initiative aims to understand the 2030 shopper and turn insight into sales. By identifying the challenges that retailers face every day, Co-Driver will be by their side, helping them to sell smarter and faster by providing growth hacks, top insights and a dedicated WhatsApp for real-time updates and expert advice.
Retailers and wholesalers can access Co-Driver at multiple touchpoints, with insight and advice shared across the trade press, through media and trade body partnerships, as well as promotional material handed out at trade and customer events. Additionally, Co-Driver will engage directly with retailers, asking them to share positive experiences they have had by implementing changes to drive their soft drinks growth.
Citrus rush
But Red Bull isn’t stopping there. Last month saw the launch of the firm’s hotly anticipated Summer Edition. Red Bull Summer Edition Citrus Zest is also inspired by Japan, featuring Sudachi lime flavour.
“Although core SKUs drive the most value, summer is a key time to engage the influx of new shoppers through NPD, to drive incremental sales,” says Red Bull. “The success of last year’s Summer Edition is evidence of this, driving +66% more value than the prior year’s Summer Edition. In fact, Red Bull Summer Edition was one of the most successful NPDs across FMCG last year, ranked #5 in weekly sales [Nielsen Total FMCG data to 06.12.2025].”
The Red Bull launch follows hot on the heels of Boost’s Zero Sugar Energy Citrus Zest, which hit shelves at the start of the year, along with Zero Sugar Energy Dark Fruits and Limited Edition Energy White Peach. All three 250ml cans are price marked at 75p and will be supported by a multi-million-pound brand campaign across UK and Ireland. The activity will position the brand as a “no-brainer” in the drinks category, with a strong focus on low cost and high flavour and functionality. Running until July 2026, the campaign features out-of-home advertising, digital and social media as well as on-the-street sampling of over 500,000 consumers. It will attract its core audience of 18-34-year-olds, reaching over 20 million consumers.
Lisa McKenna, Boost Brand Director at AG Barr, says: “We have always championed value, bringing great-tasting functionality at a great price. Boost is not about high-octane activities, we represent those who need energy for their everyday needs – the Mondays, not mountains. So, like our name, we are straight up and embrace our simplicity so that we can deliver the best quality and best value for shoppers – truly a no-brainer choice.”
But Boost isn’t alone in its zesty quest to offer a refreshing value-for-money energy offer.
Relentless, which claims to be the number one energy drinks brand in the affordable energy sub-category [NIQ, Total Coverage, Value Sales, MAT to 24.01.26], has just expanded its presence with a White Citrus variant. Citrus is the number one flavour profile in energy drinks, claims Abbotson [Innova 2024 European Taste Trends].
The launch is being supported by influencer and ambassador partnerships, in-store sampling and brand takeovers at key music and cultural events – building on the brand’s longstanding association with the music scene.
Convenience retailers can also drive excitement in store with Relentless White Citrus POS materials and digital downloads, available from MyCCEP.com.
Rob Yeomans, Vice-President, Commercial Development at CCEP GB, says: “The energy drinks category continues to boom and is now worth more than £2.4bn in GB and growing, with innovation key to driving this momentum. When we launched Relentless Guava last year, it delivered over £2.4m in its first year – and we anticipate White Citrus to be just as much a hit with consumers too.
“With 67% of energy drinkers preferring chilled products, we’re encouraging retailers to give White Citrus prominent chiller space and use our POS materials to maximise visibility at launch.”
The full Relentless line-up, comprising White Citrus, Origin, Cherry and Guava, is available in £1 PMP 500ml cans.
Rockstar is also keen to show off its value credentials. To offer better value to shoppers and to help retailers encourage basket spend, Rockstar Energy launched a price-marked pack (PMP) proposition across its range. “Rockstar’s 2 for £2 PMP aims to provide greater value for shoppers, particularly appealing to frequent energy drink buyers,” says Ben Parker, VP Sales Off-Trade, Carlsberg Britvic.
The PMP was rolled out across the entire range, including Tropical Guava, Blueberry Pomegranate, Mango, and several Zero Sugar options, including Blueberry, Watermelon & Kiwi, and Strawberry & Lime.
Retailers who tap into the latest flavours and trends, while successfully communicating value, can power up sales in their Sports & Energy Drinks range this summer.
Ed Roberts, MD of Talysis, concludes: “Convenience retailers are ideally placed to take full advantage of the opportunities within this sub-category, and should maximise sales via chilled availability and impulse-led execution.”
AG Barr’s Irn-Bru Energy, which made its debut in 2019, is back on shelves in 500ml cans. Available in Original and Zero Sugar variants, the drink contains taurine, caffeine and B vitamins to deliver an energy boost.
The product is designed to appeal to shoppers who love the distinctive taste of Irn-Bru but seek additional functionality. It is expected to be especially appealing to shoppers in Scotland due to its powerful heritage and loyal fanbase.
Kenny Nicholson, Irn-Bru Brand Director at AG Barr, said: “Energy drinks remain one of the most dynamic parts of the soft drinks category, and retailers know just how important it is to get the range right.
“We’re bringing back Irn-Bru Energy to deliver the iconic flavour people love into the energy category, giving shoppers something genuinely different while delivering strong incremental sales for retailers.”
