Innovation and emerging markets hold the key to the global RTD alcoholic beverage sector. Trends and industry innovation have been accelerating in recent years so producers will need to be mindful in order to stay on top of the market. New trends and new products are expected to drive the market such as hard ciders, premium products, low-calorie, low-alcohol, and low-sugar products.
In the recently published IWSR Magazine just-drinks GLOBAL RTD & Cider Insights 2018 report they note that RTDs are expected to grow by over 30 million liters in the next 5 years, with the largest growth expected in Asia, South/Central America and the Caribbean. That growth is expected to slow however, with the CAGR (compound annual growth rate) from 2012 to 2016 falling from 3.5 percent to 1.6 percent. The three largest markets for RTDs remain Japan, the United States and Australia which combined account for roughly 60 percent of volume and 62 percent of value of the overall sector.
Source: IWSR Magazine, March 2018