Confusion remains the biggest barrier to growth in the fast-rising functional drinks market, according to a new study of 2,500 UK shoppers.
The research set out to understand why the functional drinks category, despite growing 34% year on year and now worth £178m [North Star by Circana 52 w/e 22 September 2025], has failed to match the scale seen overseas.
In the US, functional drinks already make up 17% of all soft drinks sales [Innova Market Insights] compared to just 1.9% in the UK [Circana].
The survey, commissioned by Vital Drinks, found that – while interest in functional drinks was high – many shoppers are struggling to navigate the category.
Among consumers already interested in functional drinks, 77% said they find it confusing, and only 5% of those who want to buy actually do. A further 17% avoid the category entirely, suggesting “unclear messaging, overpriced products and niche flavours are limiting growth”, Vital said.
More than half of shoppers (52%) said they did not fully understand the functional benefits of many drinks, and four in 10 were unsure how to compare products.
Based on the difference in market penetration between the UK and US, this confusion could be costing UK retailers around £391m in missed sales, Vital said.
Read more: How to make the functional drinks flywheel spin faster
To narrow the gap, UK producers and retailers should focus on “simpler, benefit-led communication, mainstream flavours and accessible pricing”, it added.
“We were intrigued by the gulf between the US and UK markets and wanted to understand what’s holding the category back,” said Vital founder Al Duffield. “The data shows that UK consumers are interested – arguably more than ever – but the experience is too complex. That’s a challenge and an opportunity for everyone in the category to make functional drinks more shoppable.”
Vital offers functional drinks across three health areas: daily vitamins, gut health, and ‘natural’ energy.
Earlier this year, England football captain Harry Kane invested in the brand, joining other angels including Fuel10K founder Barney Mauleverer and Michael Saunders, the founder of wine distributor Bibendum.
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