The Highs and Lows of a Growing Wellness Beverage Market
Photo Credit: A woman is shown with bottled water. Over the last few years, there's been a change in the health beverage market. Unsplash / @houstonmax
Skift Take
A new wave of drinks is coming to market — and aiming to supplant predecessors that have less of a wellness edge.
Just a few years ago, LaCroix was having a moment. The technicolor cans were plastered all over Instagram and stocked in fridges everywhere. But lately, there’s been a shift in what consumers want in a wellness drink.
Back in 2018 — around the same time LaCroix faced a backlash for using mysterious “natural flavors” in its drinks — Spindrift sparkling water was gaining traction in the wellness beverage space. Even though Spindrift does contain calories (unlike LaCroix), it seems customers appreciate the brand's transparency about that fact. And rather than using mysterious chemicals, Spindrift is flavored with a hint of fruit juice.
This shift in consumer taste underscores how touting products as calorie-free has become passé. Instead it’s all about using quality ingredients and clearly listing them on the label, which Spindrift does.
Another sign of the change in health beverages is
