Health before convenience says Neal Haworth

Published: 16 May, 2008

There is a growing trend within the UK towards healthy products, as recent research, conducted for Aimia, told us that 69 per cent* of consumers believe that health is more important than convenience when choosing their drink options.

As the soft drinks market continues to grow, vending operators need to take into account the current consumer focus on healthy living. Getting the product right is essential when offering healthier options. It's not just about taking out the ‘bad' ingredients; it is also about delivering taste and not adding artificial ingredients.

Current market trends confirm that when a product can offer one or both of the health/convenience elements it is likely to succeed. Continued growth is predicted within the functional drinks - sports, energy and elixirs - and juice based product categories due to the healthier nature of the products and the natural ingredients used in the recipes.

The formulation of Aimia's new sports drink, Slazenger S1, places Aimia in a prime position within the soft drinks market, providing consumers with exactly what they are looking for: a healthier drink option, which can easily be consumed ‘on-the-go' for convenience.

Available for the vending market in handy 500ml orange and mixed berry flavours, Slazenger S1 offers a convenient, great tasting, hypotonic sports drink, which has been specifically created to aid both physical and mental performance.

The unique formula contains no artificial colours or flavours and assists the body to replace lost salts and fluids faster than isotonic sports drinks.

Slazenger S1 is Aimia's latest product for the vending channel and in the short time since its launch, is performing well with an excellent uptake.

Aimia Foods also supplies Slazenger Spring Water to the vending market. In a category where demand has increased by 43 per cent over the past five years, and with an estimated market value of £643 million in the UK alone**, bottled water is not only being purchased by sports enthusiasts, but by consumers looking for healthy drinks with great flavours and benefits. As the market for water, and soft drinks, moves away from just gyms and sports facilities and becomes more diverse, new opportunities are opened up for vending operators.

Available in 500ml sports cap and flat cap bottles, with variants of raspberry and citrus flavours, Slazenger Spring Water is made with pure spring water which is bottled at source in Northumbria, England, meaning each bottle travels a nominal distance compared with many international brands, keeping carbon emissions at a minimum. Added to this, each Slazenger Spring Water bottle is manufactured using PETE1 plastic, which is 100 per cent recyclable if disposed of correctly.

As an independent supplier of soft drinks, Aimia is in a unique position to be able to help and advise vending operators throughout the UK. With a number of top brands in the product portfolio, we work with operators to pass on our category knowledge, supporting and advising them of the best products to stock to increase their sales.

During 2008, Aimia plans to expand and improve on its vending portfolio with new product launches planned throughout the year.

Neal Haworth is Soft Drinks Category Marketing Manager at Aimia Foods.

http://www.aimiafoods.com/

* Neilsen Health and Wellbeing Report.

** According to Aimia Foods.