Where and when do soft drinks feature in convenience baskets?
Soft drinks are a staple in UK convenience stores, featuring in one out of every four shopping baskets. This marks a significant increase from 2022, where they were in 23.6% of visits, now up to 26.1%. This makes soft drinks the second most bought item in convenience stores, just behind chilled foods like ready meals and raw meat.
Soft drinks appeared in more than twice as many baskets as alcohol in 2023
Most soft drinks in the convenience market are packaged for immediate consumption which has contributed to their spot as the leading impulse-purchase category in convenience.
Soft drinks make up 31% of all shopping trips and 32% of sales
Soft drinks are not just popular; they drive the most foot traffic and sales in convenience stores
‘Treat’ and ‘snacks’ are the top reasons shoppers visit
This shows the need for stores to stock a variety of chilled soft drinks that are easy to find and placed near food items to boost sales.
Soft drinks feature in 48.6% of food-to-go baskets
Meal deals and deals that combine soft drinks and snacks play a significant role in driving these sales.
