Magazine: Fruit juice: sales are already increasing, prices are about to grow

Sales improved in all fruit drink segments last year, but the sales of premium products with high fruit content developed most dynamically. Balázs Bogár, trade marketing manager of Sió-Eckes Kft. told our magazine that the market in total expanded, because of the growing consumer confidence index and the increasing purchasing power. Melinda Kun, brand manager of Rauch Hungária Kft. informed us that sales of low fruit-content fruit juices continued to rise in the winter season after their good performance in the exceptionally hot summer. Valentin Tóth, communications director of Coca-Cola Hungary revealed that since last year the price of fruit juice ingredients increased considerably – in certain cases by more than 50 percent – in the world market. Consequently, probably all manufacturers will be forced to increase prices this year.

Traditional flavours (orange, apple, multivitamin) are still the most popular, but in the last few years mixed flavours were developing the fastest. Balázs Csorba, sales director of In-food 2000 Kft. pointed out to us that products made from fruits with a high antioxidant content (e.g. cranberry, pomegranate) have become popular lately. Andrea Dulai, sales manager of Garden Juice Kft. told our magazine that different flavour combinations are popular in different season, e.g. in spring consumers like their apple-blackcurrant juice, but in summer 100-percent apple and 100-percent orange are popular. In Hungary 98 percent of fruit juice volume sales is realised in carton and PET bottle packaging (2015: carton – 49.6 percent, PET bottle – 48.4 percent). According to Anna Cholnoky, brand manager of Maspex Olympos Kft., although glass’ share is only 1.7 percent in fruit juice packaging, in the last few years it managed to double its volume share, mainly thanks to Topjoy products.

SIÓ-Eckes Kft. holds on to their market leader position, what is more, they managed to increase their volume share from 17.7 percent to 18.5 percent. In the first quarter of 2016 the company expanded the dynamically developing SIÓ Juice and Nectar portfolio with SIÓ Blackcurrant Nectar and the SIÓ Vitatigris Fruit Purée range welcomed a new banana product. April brings the debut of the SIÓ CitrusFresh product line – orange, lime-lemon and grapefruit products with an exciting, youthful design. SIÓ works with almost 1,000 fruit growers, buying their fruit which the company processes in Siófok.

Maspex Olympos Kft. has three key brands in the fruit juice market. Topjoy’s market share more than tripled in both volume and value last year. Ms Cholnoky told that consumers preferred special flavours the most from the portfolio: Topjoy cactus was 2015’s biggest hit. This spring a dragon fruit (pitaya) Topjoy fruit juice will appear on store shelves. Olympos is still the No.2 brand in the PET-bottle fruit drink market. This year’s new product is the Olympos Mediterranean range, which is available in 4 special flavours: apple-grapes-black grapes, apple-kiwi-lime, grapefruit-orange-lemon, apple-mango-starfruit. Olympos Light products are made without added sugar and are available in many flavour combinations. Kubu children’s drink is market leader in its category and this year one of the brand’s new products is 100-percent apple juice. Another new Kubu product is Kubu Waterrr Raspberry – a new flavour in the brand’s flavoured water portfolio.

In Coca-Cola Hungary’s portfolio we find Cappy and Cappy Junior fruit juices and nectars, Cappy Pulpy and Cappy Ice Fruit fruit drinks and vitamin C fortified Cappy Great Start! products. In the middle of May 2016 the company will launch five new Cappy fruit juices with a 20-50 percent fruit content and a recommended consumer price below HUF 300, in Hungary’s most popular flavours: orange, peach, apple, sour cherry and blackcurrant. As for the Horeca channel, new-design 0.25-litre glass bottles will replace the current 0.2-litre Cappy bottle, in which 11 different flavours will be sold just like earlier. Cappy Ice Fruit’s two most popular flavours will be available (primarily in hypermarkets) in a 2×1.5-litre multipack format too, equipped with a carrying handle.

Rauch Hungária Kft.’s 1-litre Happy Day products can be found in shops in 24 flavours – the widest selection in the fruit juice market. The company’s Yippy range targets children and is available in 0.33-litre and 0.2-litre carton packaging. This year Yippy waters are launched in 3 flavours: apple, strawberry and blackberry. These products are made from delicious real fruit juice and mineral water and sold in 0.33-litre coloured bottles. In the spring Bravo products will appear on store shelves in cans, in 4 flavours and with higher fruit content than before.

Sales of In-food 2000 Kft.’s Pfanner brand started to grow again in 2015. The trend continued this year and the company calculates with a 10-15 percent growth for 2016. Directly pressed products and flavour combinations are in the centre of the company’s innovation activity. Garden Juice Kft. intends to expand its portfolio mainly with products made from Hungarian ingredients, so after last year’s apple-apricot flavour combination the next new product will be apple-strawberry. They continue to focus on popularising directly pressed – not made form concentrate – fruit juices.