Soft drinks put an extra £300m through tills in the licensed channel

• Soft drinks is one of the strongest performing sub sectors for the UK’s licensed operators,¹ reports Carlsberg Britvic, growing by 0.6% to £4.6bn on volumes down 5.6%,² and putting an extra £300m through the tills in 2024 alone²
• Carlsberg Britvic's Soft Drinks Review 2025 reveals the challenges the industry is facing; a decrease in the number of pub visits, which has dipped by 1.7% to 1.15 occasions a week³ and an increase in demand for “quality” when they do visit;³highlighting the importance of providing elevated experiences and a sense of occasion
• The latest report shines a light on the growing numbers of people using alcohol moderation tactics,⁴ with a third (32%) opting for water between alcoholic drinks when they’re on a night out ’most’ or ‘all of the time’.⁴ It’s a strong opportunity for soft drinks, suggesting that huge value can be unlocked by tapping into the category

Licensed venues operating in Britain need to present soft drinks and low and no alternatives on an equal pegging with alcoholic drinks to stand out from the competition. That’s according to Carlsberg Britvic's Soft Drinks Review 2025, which has revealed the latest challenges and trends shaping the industry. Carlsberg Britvic says that operators can unlock new growth by fully embracing the surge in the popularity for ‘zebra striping’, an alcohol moderation trend, which sees people alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on a night out.⁴

The industry is facing its fair share of challenges: people are going to the pub less³ and they’re continuing to cut down on alcohol, which accounts for 85.1% of the pub trade’s revenue, a whopping £26.6bn.¹ In addition to this, overall drinks sales through licensed venues have dipped by 0.7% to £31.2bn on volumes down 3.4% in 2024.¹

Despite these challenges, Carlsberg Britvic's Soft Drinks Review 2025 highlights the huge opportunities for licensed venues who adapt and re-evaluate their approach to soft drinks and the way they serve alcohol-free options, giving people more reasons to visit their venues beyond drinking alcohol. 

“There’s no denying that licensed operators are under a lot of pressure,” comments Chris Pratt, VP Sales On-Trade, Carlsberg Britvic. “Big nights outs are being redefined; they don’t necessarily lead with a focus on alcohol. Instead, consumers are increasingly looking for venues that offer the right experiences. And they’re prepared to shop around to get it. As a result, the competition is fiercer than ever. We’re seeing venue choices widening and the likes of gastropubs and ‘competitive socialising’ venues-think escape rooms, axe throwing, digital darts and virtual driving simulators-continuing to grow in popularity.”

Pratt continues, “All of this means that operators are having to work harder to attract people into their venues, encourage them to spend more time (and money) there and keep them coming back for more. To do this, licensed venues need to broaden their appeal and offer unique experiences, while striking a balance between value and excellence – which is no mean feat! That’s why we’ve packed our Soft Drinks Review 2025 with advice on how operators can do just that, as well as maximise their revenues by tapping into consumers’ growing love affair with soft drinks and low and no alcohol options.”

Carlsberg Britvic’s latest report shines a light on the fact that some licensed venues still aren’t realising the full extent of the size of the prize available to them through soft drinks. Research shows that 40% of Brits⁵ make it their mission to find out what low and no alcohol drinks are available at a venue before visiting (if they are moderating alcohol),5 but only one in five venues have uploaded a menu featuring alcohol-free drinks to their listing.”⁵

Pratt concludes, “Soft drinks, and low and no alcohol options need to be treated more like the stars of the show that they are. Operators should show off the brands on offer and make sure staff know how to serve them in an attractive and compelling way. If menus and bars don’t display brands or no alcohol drink options, they won’t be on the order. We’re helping our partners in the licensed trade to develop jaw-dropping serves and eye-catching point of sale materials that does their offering justice. And our Mix with Carlsberg Britvic online platform is an invaluable resource, curated by our mixologists to help bar staff stay ahead of trends and give them the skills to mix the perfect drink every time, whether it contains alcohol or not.”

Carlsberg Britvic’s top tips to get stand out with your soft drinks offering

Make soft drinks stand out in your venues, website and socials: List your alcohol-free offerings on your Google listing - one in two venues don’t do this.⁵ And stock up on a wider range of exciting flavours such as The London Essence Company’s premium mixers and crafted sodas which provide a fantastic base for sensational alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Tap into the rising popularity of juices, exotic flavours, hot drinks and non-alcoholic cocktails:⁶ Elevate your drinks offering with shots of Teisseire syrups and cordials, which provide an easy way to add flair, flavour and value to everything from water and coffee to fizzy and mixed drinks. Stock up on exciting flavour limited editions, take for instance J2O Dragonberry, a blend of blackberry juice and dragon fruit flavour – launching this summer. And get creative with cocktail names - instead of ‘Virgin G&T’ why not call it ‘Cherry Blossom Spritz’?

People will pay more for drinks they perceive to be better for them:⁷ Stock up on premium, drink with naturally fermented tea) and Aqua Libra Pure Filtered Still and Sparkling canned water.

Offer experiences that go beyond alcohol and food: Live entertainment, events and themed menus can all help lure people to pubs and bars for evening drinks, as can the development of wider and more sophisticated soft drinks menus.

Download the Carlsberg Britvic Licensed Soft Drinks Review