"New Age" beverages, novelty drinks, upscale juices and bottled water account for the greatest proliferation of new products in the beverage aisle.
Indeed, the beverage category is one of the most fertile areas of the store when it comes to the introduction of new products, flavors and varieties, retailers and beverage industry experts told SN.
"The introduction of a new product is always tough, but if a manufacturer can get the distribution and do a halfway decent job of marketing, people are going to go out and try the product," said Gary A. Hemphill, vice president for information services at Beverage Marketing Corp., a New York-based beverage sales tracking and consulting firm.
Hemphill said products that are either new or have shown stellar growth over the last year include Pepsi's Josta, a soda made with the Amazon guarana berry; Surge and Citra citrus sodas introduced by Coca-Cola; and Nantucket Nectars, a line of upscale New Age fruit drinks.
In the year ahead, Hemphill sees oxygenated waters -- waters infused with oxygen molecules and billed as energy boosters -- gaining a presence on supermarket shelves.
David DiGeronimo, junior vice president and head buyer at Victory Super Markets, Leominster, Mass., said the bottled water section "seems to be going out of control," based on the skyrocketing sales and proliferation of new brands that he has seen in his suburban Boston stores.
"Our bottled water sales are dramatically increasing every year," he said, adding that much of the growth is coming from a distrust of the safety and quality of municipal water systems. "We are constantly expanding and bringing in new lines, and I expect that area to continue to grow."
However, the popularity of bottled waters has posed an unexpected problem for DiGeronimo.
"It is hard to discontinue items because almost every water sells," he said. "But eventually you get to the point where you have to start deleting the slow-selling varieties."
Tom Roesner, buyer at Seaway Food Town, Maumee, Ohio, said his water sales are soaring, especially the single-serve spring waters in bottles with sports caps.
He also finds the new entries in the New Age category are selling well.
Audie Waters, direct-store delivery buyer at Autrey Greer & Sons, Prichard, Ala., said he is readying his shelves for the arrival of Surge, a green citrus soda from Coca-Cola that is similar to Pepsi's Mountain Dew product. Waters said he expects Surge to be on his shelves this month.
