Spirit of the place in the bottle of fruit juice

Growth in sales of fruit juice seems to be slowing down. Retail sales show stagnation, while HoReCa sales are still showing some growth. The selection and unit size of fruit juices served depends on the category of the HoReCa unit. Consumption of natural fruit juices had increased dynamically in the past decade owing to increasing health consciousness and intensive marketing campaigns. Per capita consumption of 22 litres in 1994 had doubled by 2008. Growth had been most dynamic in the 2001-2003 period (9 litres), and has slowed down since then. Consumption of 100 percent fruit juice has been decreasing since 2006 (5,3 litre) and is 25 percent lower at present. We can see a similar process in the fruit nectar segment, while fruit drinks have produced growth of 10 percent. – Consumption of fruit juice decreased in general in 2008, with nectars showing a bigger than average drop in sales – says László Szilágyi, managing director of Rauch Hungária. Drinks and juices have produced an almost identical drop. Price consciousness of consumers is one of the reasons behind this decline, while the other is an abundance of new flavours. According to Balázs Csorba, sales director of In Food 2000 Kft, distributor of Pfanner and Vöslauer products, segmentation depends not only on fruit content but also on growing demand for products with added value.. Apart from BIO products, those made with added vitamins and antioxidants are also producing growth at the expense of conventional fruit juices. – A shift in demand is detectable, mainly on the level of brands, with consumers choosing either a well known brand or a private label, which is putting mid-market brands under a lot of pressure – adds Katalin Zarándy, marketing director of SIÓ-ECKES Kft. Price is not seen as the single most important consideration in HoReCa sales. Most HoReCa units do not keep a wide range of products and guests are not allowed a lot of choice. The fruit content of the juice served is greatly dependent on the category of the HoReCa unit. Smaller size products are served in bottles in higher category units, while fruit juice is served by the glass from bag in boxes in lower category places. – Unfortunately we are unable to access the HoReCa sector with our products in spite of the Premium Hungaricum award we received in May– says Pál Dedák, owner of Jona-drink. At present, they cannot invest in a bottling line. Rauch products sold in 0,2 litre bottles have a 100 percent fruit content and are free of preservatives. Rauch has a design specifically for the HoReCa sector and also provides promotional tools for HoReCa units. As brand loyalty cannot be expected to serve as decisive consideration for guests in choosing a HoReCa unit to visit, manufacturers have decided to offer a diverse range of flavours for such units. Though the popularity of fresh fruit juices is growing, all manufacturers agree that this trend is not expected to have a significant effect on this segment of the market.