According to NIQ’s 2023 Consumer Outlook report, 46% of consumers prioritize health and wellness. How does this help the beverage business? The functional beverages market has been experiencing steep growth and is considered to be the new trend.
These beverages are healthy alternatives to traditional beverages like sodas, sugar beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, etc., as they contain adaptogens, minerals, and vitamins. Pre- and pro-biotic drinks also fall under the category of functional beverages.
Brands need to update themselves with consumers’ current preferences. It is equally important to know how customers perceive brands and sellers.
Digital Shelf analytics software helps brands identify, monitor, and analyze multiple metrics that help scale business.
About the Report
This report is based on Walmart beverages’ mid-July brand and seller performance. The Walmart beverages category offers 68 product categories with 248 brands.
Methodology
The data experts at MetricsCart analyzed 1,272 products in the Walmart beverages category.
Key Findings
- Walmart’s beverages category has around 189 sellers selling 248 brands.
- There are over 2 million total reviews, with 4.26 as the average rating.
- The most expensive product is Premium Protein High Protein Shake Caramel (pack of 32), which costs $538.
- Juice is the most popular category, with 187 products and a 4.1 average rating.
Best Performing Beverage Brands and Categories at Walmart
Walmart’s beverages are one of the most popular categories, with an average price of $11.04.
According to MetricsCart experts, the most popular beverage brands are Great Value, which has 143 products; Gatorade, which has 67 products; and Ensure, which has 47 products.
According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report, around 29.7 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes in the US. The brand Ensure caters to the health-conscious customer base and is considered beneficial for diabetics, weight loss, overall immunity, etc.
However, Gatorade and Great Value are more popular with their product line of energy drinks, flavored sodas, non-alcoholic beers, etc.
READ MORE | Want to know more about the impact of digital shelf on CPG brands? Check out our blog How CPG Brands are Winning on the Digital Shelf?
Most Expensive Products in Walmart Beverages
As of the mid-July report, Premier Protein—High Protein Shake Caramel (Pack of 32) is the most expensive product on Walmart beverages, with a price tag of $538.
The second most expensive product is Inspire 15gm Protein Shake or Pudding by Bariatric Eating, which is priced at $103. However, the product seems to be less popular, with just 24 reviews.
According to Fitt Insider, protein powders and shakes have started to dominate the US market in recent years. In the past, protein shakes were mostly used by athletes and bodybuilders, but now they have acquired a cult status among the general public.
The US protein market is expected to reach $6.16 billion in 2024, and this growth is directly reflected in the category’s popularity in Walmart beverages.
Least Expensive Products in Walmart Beverages
Kool-Aid Unsweetened Tropical Punch Artificially Flavored Powdered Drink Mix 0.16 oz. Packet is the least expensive product at $0.4 and 4.3 average rating.
Other products like Clear American Ice Black Raspberry Sparkling Juice 17 Fl oz. Bottle, Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey- 22 Fluid Ounce Aluminium Cans, and Great Value Diet Tonic Water 33.8 Fl oz Bottle are also on the least expensive list priced at $0.7, $0.9 and $1, respectively.
Best Selling Product Category in Walmart Beverages
Our mid-July Walmart beverage category insights show that Juices are the most popular product category, with 187 total products and an average rating of 4.1.
Other than carbonated beverages, coffee, bottled water, and iced tea, juices rank as the fifth most preferred beverage among Americans. Specifically, Gen Z and Millennials consume juice products the most.
Apart from Juices, Protein Drinks, Sports Drinks, Energy Drinks, and Powdered Drink Mixes also lead the popular beverage category, with 124, 119, 102, and 95 products, respectively.
READ MORE | Interested in knowing more about Walmart’s women’s health category? Check out our report, Digital Shelf Insights: Women’s Health Category at Walmart
Top Brands in the Juices Category of Walmart Beverages
The Juices category has major brands like Kool-Aid, Dole, Minute Maid, etc. However, the best-performing brand in the category is Great Value, a private label brand, which has a total of 29 products.
It is quickly followed by Ocean Spray and Minute Maid, with 22 and 16 products, respectively. Dole, Tropicana, Sunny D, and Juicy Juice are some of the best selling beverages at Walmart with fewer products.
Analysis of Reviews and Ratings of Walmart Beverages
Leading brands like Ensure, Boost, Monster Energy, etc., have average ratings of 4.6, 4.5, and 3.9, respectively. These are affordable options and are considered to be healthier than carbonated drinks and flavored juices.
The most expensive product in the category, Premier Protein High Protein Shake Caramel (Pack of 32), has 4222 reviews. However, with a 4.6 rating, Ensure is the most preferred brand in Walmart beverages.
Other brands, such as Boost, BODYARMOR, Kool-Aid, Gatorade, and Minute Maid, also have impressive average ratings of 4.5, 4.4, 4.3, 4.2, and 4.0, respectively.
These ratings show that consumers consistently prefer these brands as they offer value and great flavor. Various factors, such as everyday low pricing, rollback offers, and return policies, dictate consumer behavior at Walmart.
Best Performing Seller in the Walmart Beverages
MetricsCart experts have created a detailed analysis of Walmart beverage sellers. According to the mid-July statistics from MetricsCart, Walmart.com is the best-performing seller with 953 products in Walmart beverages.
Great Value, Gatorade, and Ensure are the top three brands sold by Walmart.com, with 143, 49, and 27 products, respectively.
Among the popular categories sold by Walmart.com, Juices, Sports Drinks, Spirits, Powdered Drink Mixes, and Protein Drinks rank in the first five with 156, 87, 86, 84, and 69 products, respectively.
READ MORE | Planning to sell your products online? Check out our blog on 10 E-Commerce Mistakes to Avoid For Successful Online Business
Conclusion: Data Insights You Don’t Want To Miss
Walmart’s beverage insights help brands and 3P sellers identify competitors’ performance and brand health. These data points assist in creating efficient pricing strategies and product positioning on online marketplaces.
MetricsCart DSI reports are carefully curated by our data experts so that you can access the latest information, such as consumer trends in Walmart beverages.
The right digital shelf analytics partner helps break down the data silos in your organization and scale brand performance for actionability. Get on a discovery call with MetricsCart, and let us take care of the rest.
Disclaimer: MetricsCart is the exclusive owner of data used in the DSI reports. Any kind of third-party usage entails due credit to the source material.
