Recently, tmall new product innovation center (TMIC) released the "2022 Electrolyte Beverage Trend Report" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"). The report pointed out that from April 2021 to March 2022, the growth rate of functional beverages reached 38%, which was the fastest growing category in the domestic beverage market. In the secondary track of functional beverages, electrolyte beverages performed prominently, ranking first with a growth rate of 225%.
Electrolyte drinks originated in the United States. In 1965, the University of Florida invented a sports drink for American soccer teams, making the first attempt to add electrolytes to it. Drinking after exercise can maintain exercise endurance, maintain body fluid balance, quickly replenish water and promote metabolism, which is also the prototype of the famous brand "Gatorade".
Domestic electrolyte drinks started a little later. In the 1980s, Jianlibao developed a beverage with alkaline electrolytes. However, due to the public's perception of the category, electrolyte drinks did not become famous in that year.
With the gradual improvement of consumer health awareness, especially after SARS in 2003, functional drinks with health care effects have gradually become popular, low-sugar, low-calorie foods have attracted much attention, and electrolyte beverages have also begun to extend to the public due to their own characteristics. In the past two years, more brands have begun to lay out electrolyte beverage tracks.
According to the data of the Tmall "Report", domestic electrolyte beverage brands are rising strongly and have begun to impact the leading position of international giants.
Electrolyte water drives the growth of functional drinks, and aliens lead the domestic electrolyte boom
According to the sales data of various categories of beverages on the Tmall platform from April 2021 to March 2022, functional beverages have developed rapidly, surpassing ready-to-drink coffee and fruit and vegetable juices with a growth rate of 38%, becoming the fastest growing category. The high growth is inseparable from the rise of electrolyte beverages on the secondary track.
Tmall 'Report' shows that in the past year, electrolyte beverages are a high-growth track for functional drinks, and with its 225% year-on-year sales growth rate, it has surpassed energy drinks and vitamin drinks in one fell swoop and become a new outlet in the water drinking track.
In addition, in the past year, among the top eight brands in the GMV (total commodity transactions), domestic brands occupy four seats, and in the track of functional beverages, domestic brands have begun to impact the leading position of international giants.
Among the four domestic brands on the list, the results of alien electrolyte water are more prominent, ranking second in the list of Tmall functional beverage brands and first in the list of Tmall electrolyte beverages. Judging from the list, in the past year, aliens have surpassed the old brand Japan's treasure ore water special and American Gatorade, and directly chased Red Bull, which has been deeply involved in the functional beverage market for decades.
Alien electrolyte water is available in spring 2021. According to previous media reports, the product surpassed Red Bull Thailand and Japan Power Health care in the "Double 11" shopping festival in 2021, occupying the top of the "Double 11" functional beverage list, which also led the boom of electrolyte drinks and attracted a large number of domestic brands to enter the electrolyte beverage track.
Not long ago, some of the performance disclosed by Yuanqi Forest for the first time showed that the monthly sales of alien electrolyte water exceeded 100 million yuan in the first quarter of this year, which was 2.5 times that of the same period last year. Yuanqi Forest said that the first quarter of each year is usually the off-season for beverage sales, and in the absence of too much advertising for alien electrolyte water, business growth marks that the product has initially accumulated a certain brand potential.
Clean ingredients are the new direction of future development
The traditional electrolyte water is sodium, potassium, magnesium plasma, vitamin C and some compounds, after scientific proportions of water dissolved, with simulated human body fluid components, to achieve rapid replenishment of human water consumption, quickly relieve fatigue effect.
With the expansion of the market and the improvement of public health concepts, products that rely solely on efficacy can no longer meet the requirements of more consumers for electrolyte beverages. In addition to the strong effect, "0 sugar 0 calorie" has become a new hot spot. According to the report, 38% of consumers will pay attention to whether the product is 0 sugar and 0 calorie when purchasing.
It is understood that alien electrolyte water focuses on light sports and daily scenes, advocating drinking during exercise, work, study, and games. In March this year, Alien also launched a new product for medium and high-intensity sports and 30 minutes of long-term exercise crowds - Alien Electrolyte Water Pro, officially entering the professional sports track. Alien Electrolyte Water Pro provides 3.5 times more potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and chloride ions than the regular version, and the BCAA ingredient is also added to the product to help the body recover after exercise.
In addition, the aliens add a variety of beneficial substances such as vitamin E and vitamin B6 on the basis of being rich in electrolytes. Compared to vitamin C used by other brands, adding vitamin E requires a higher technical content and is more expensive.
Electrolyte beverage competition will enter the 5.0 era
In the past two years, with the improvement of public consumption concepts, consumers' awareness of electrolyte beverages is improving. At the same time, the consumer demand for electrolyte beverages tends to be diversified: how to customize personalized products for different groups of people, whether the products meet the daily drinking, whether to ensure good taste and health at the same time, and whether the products are environmentally friendly have become the emerging needs of consumers.
In this context, the report defines five stages for electrolyte beverages: version 1.0 electrolyte beverages represented by Jianlibao and Gatorade, which mainly focuses on sports scenes and improves exercise function. The 2.0 version of electrolyte drinks represented by screaming and magic is mainly upgraded in the personalization of taste and function. Bao mining power represents the 3.0 version of the electrolyte drink, paying more attention to daily hydration. Alien is the representative of electrolyte drink version 4.0, which not only meets all the characteristics of the first three versions, but also meets the cleanliness of ingredients and meets the pursuit of health of contemporary young people.
Unfortunately, there are currently no products that can meet the sustainability requirements of Electrolyte Beverage Version 5.0. In the future, electrolyte beverage brands should pay more attention to grand issues such as carbon neutrality and sustainable development, and convey environmental awareness and sustainable living concepts to young people.