Soft drinks trends 2025 - what will shape the market this year

This year, the beverage market for soft drinks is evolving with trends that cater to consumers’ changing preferences and lifestyles. The focus is primarily on functional ingredients, sustainability and innovations. Austria Juice has defined three key trends: From Mindful Taste for emotional well-being, to Vitality Boost packed with health benefits to Eco Essence focusing on sustainability.

Learn more about these top trends in the non-alcoholic beverage market and discover which product concepts align with the trend.

Furthermore the Pantone color of the year 2025 “Mocca Mousse” a cozy brown shade, will also inspire the food and beverage industry to create products with brown flavours or ingredients like chocolate, coffee or hazelnut. 

Mindful Taste

Our defined Mindful Taste trend is one of the tree top trends in 2025 and focuses on beverages that enhance emotional well-being and provide a sense of indulgence without compromising health. Consumers are seeking drinks that support mental health, offer comforting and experimental flavours, and help balance energy levels amidst the stresses of daily life. This trend emphasizes the importance of enjoying rewarding flavours while maintaining a mindful approach to overall wellness. 

It shows that consumers will look to step back from daily pressures and information overload. They will re-evaluate their priorities, placing greater emphasis on happiness and non-material wealth. The need for stress alleviation and mood enhancement will shape food, drink, and flavour preferences. Traditional, comforting, simplistic, and nostalgic offerings will be favoured, with consumers seeking moments of guilt-free indulgence. So, 53% of global consumers say they have taken steps to improve their emotional health in the last 12 months.
Source FMCG Gurus 2024 

To meet these trends and consumer demands, the beverage industry has to stay ahead with innovative product concepts. AUSTRIA JUICE develops tailor-made beverage creations, like the following:

•    Vitamin Water - with Vitamin B6, B9, B12, Vitamin C, D
•    MultiFIT and AppleFIT Drinks - with Vitamin C
•    Functional Syrup “Relax” - with botanicals, like passion flower
•    Coke Mix with orange flavour - for moments of indulgence

Vitality Boost

The Vitality Boost trend emphasizes beverages that support long-term health and wellness. This is an important major trend that has already become apparent in recent years. Ageing populations, residual effects of the pandemic, an array of educational resources and tech advancements are driving this trend. Consumers are increasingly knowledgeable about their health and proactive in their search for specialised products with proven efficacy across different life stages. Source: Euromonitor

Consumers are increasingly seeking drinks with functional benefits, such as hydration, collagen, protein, and immunity boosters. According to a FMCG Gurus survey in 2024, 59 % of people globally are interested in food & drink products that are customized to meet their individual nutritional needs. Within the survey, 47% of consumers said that they plan to improve their energy levels, and 36% report worsened sleep patterns. This is highlighting the demand for beverages that enhance vitality and meet special needs. 
54% of consumers knew which vitamins and supplements to take for their specific health goals and concerns. And they want products & services that are uniquely tailored to them.
Source: Euromonitor

Within the category of functional beverages the aspects of digestive and gut health most drives the purchase of functional food and beverage. Source: Innova

With the cosmetic industry booming, integrating beauty-enhancing features into food is becoming increasingly popular. The trend to look for beauty features and skin health is particularly strong among younger generations. Especially Gen Z is buying functional food and beverages for skin health. 
According to Euromonitor, hormones and menopause became central topics, highlighting the need for functional health solutions for previously overlooked audience segments. 44% of global female consumers are seeking new solutions to prevent or treat women’s health issues. 

Consumer interest in hormone balancing has surged by 150% since 2022. People are increasingly aware of the significant impact hormones have on whole-body wellness. The focus on hormones is expanding beyond menopause to include everyone, with personalized nutrition emerging as a powerful tool for managing hormone regulation and optimizing overall well-being. Source: Tastewise

Consumers are increasingly aware that the effectiveness of functional products depends on maintaining core essentials like diet, exercise, sleep, and hydration. Over the next year, there will be a greater focus on hydration, as low hydration levels can negatively impact wellness, including energy, mood, and sleep health. With 64% of global consumers recognizing the link between good hydration and overall health, there are opportunities to position products around hydration and revitalization. Source: FMCG Gurus 2024

AUSTRIA JUICE has a very broad portfolio to meet this major trend of different functional beverages. Popular flavours and ingredients within this category are hydration drinks, functional waters with botanicals, immunity booster drinks with turmeric-ginger or Collagen drinks.

Some examples of product concepts are shown as follows:

•    Functional Water - with ingredients like collagen and protein
•    Hydration Drink - to improve the absorption of water during physical activity
•    Water Plus - with several functional ingredients
•    Gut Health Juice or Gut Health Vitamin Water - with a high fiber content
•    Collagen Drinks - to meet the aspect of beauty and skin health
•    Prebiotic Natural Energy - with a natural caffeine source without artificial additives
•    Functional Syrup “Immune” – with ginger 
•    Plant-Based Protein Drink - with high protein content & no added sugar

Eco Essence

The Eco Essence trend reflects a growing consumer demand for sustainability and environmentally responsible products. 73% of global consumers are concerned about the environment and 72% believe that brands should do more to protect the planet.
Source: FMCG Gurus 2024

This shows that sustainability credentials are important, but consumers seek for products that offer additional benefits. These include topics like reducing carbon footprints, using eco-friendly packaging, and sourcing ingredients responsibly. As an answer to this consumer demand, beverage manufacturers are introducing carbon-negative products that go beyond carbon neutrality. 
Furthermore, products that emphasize natural ingredients and minimal processing are highly valued, so called Clean label products. Consumers are looking for natural claims and beverages that are free from artificial additives and preservatives.

By focusing on eco-friendly practices and natural claims, beverage manufacturers can meet the evolving needs of today’s conscious consumers. Here are some examples of product concepts that meet this trend:

•    Juices & Nectars – from sustainable sourcing
•    Juice Alternatives 
•    Orange Alternatives - to overcome raw material shortage
•    FMPs (flavours with modifying properties) - reduced sugar & labelled as natural flavours

Conclusion:

In 2025, the soft drink market is shaped by three key trends. Mindful Taste focuses on non-alcoholic beverages that enhance emotional well-being and offer indulgent yet balanced flavours. Vitality Boost emphasizes drinks with functional benefits like hydration, collagen, and immunity boosters, reflecting consumers’ focus on long-term health. Consumers are very well informed about their own health and nutritional need and are seeking for products that meet these special needs, like hydration, hormone balancing or digestive health. The Eco Essence trend highlights the importance of aligning product offerings with consumers’ environmental values, ensuring that sustainability is at the core of brand strategies.