After the two-digit growth of previous years last year shocked the energy drink market with a one-digit sales drop. However, this decline could easily be forecasted after the details of NETA (public health product tax) came to light in 2011.

Last November the law was modified and the version that entered into force in January 2013 stipulates that the tax has to be paid after caffeine content above the 15mg/100ml level. The majority of manufacturers have to pay less than before: HUF 40/litre – this means that the tax on a 250ml can is HUF 10. Bomba!’s Austrian manufacturer reacted to the new version of the law by reducing their products’ caffeine content to be below the 15mg/100ml threshold and taking off the term ‘energy drink’ from the can. HELL ENERGY Magyarország Kft.’s regional director József Szabari told our magazine that their sales grew in 2012. The new products that they introduced (HELL Strong Apple and HELL Ice Cool) repeated the success of Red Grape, 2011’s debutant. Coca-Cola communications director Éda Pogány informed Trade magazin that energy drink sales by small shops is improving, while hypermarkets sell less from year to year. Sales of 0.5- and 0.6-litre PET-bottle products fell by more than 20 percent. By the end of 2012 from 100 energy drinks sold 25 were not tutti-frutti flavoured. In July 2012 Coca-Cola put Monster Rehab on the market and Blue Burn appeared in stores in September. Energy drink-wise 2012 was a successful year for BUSZESZ Zrt. The company managed to increase the volume of production and sales mainly with new domestic and international private label products. However, when building their WATT brand they paid special attention to innovation. For instance in 2008 they introduced WATT Natura, the first energy drink in Hungary made from natural ingredients. Last year they added the Cherry flavour to the WATT product line – we learned from marketing manager Adrienn Horváth.