Stephanie Cernivec

The Internet’s evolution and increasing popularity of social media has allowed companies to get closer than ever to their consumers. Now, they can even reach them through these mediums in the store.

In the competitive beverage industry, innovation is key. In the last few years, companies have developed new categories, such as coconut waters, aloe-infused drinks and relaxation beverages. Because formulations like these are so creative, oftentimes their packaging must be, too.

We’ve heard of blind taste tests between competitive products. Oftentimes, consumers can’t tell the difference between a national brand and its private-label equivalent. However, in recent years, retailers have taken it to a whole new level. These days, consumers might find it difficult to pick out a private label product on-shelf because of the way it’s packaged and marketed.

Who could have predicted that leggings would once again be fashionable? Or that Beanie Babies would make a comeback? Trends can be difficult to predict. But after years of closely studying the beverage industry, experts offer their findings on the newest beverage-related trends.

Around age 30, adults begin to experience changes in brain function as part of natural development, according to Chesterfield, Mo.-based Nawgan Products LLC. Some effects are mild, such as occasionally misplacing everyday items, but others can be more significant. Although Nawgan functional beverages do not claim to reverse the brain aging process, they were developed specifically to support cognitive function over time, the company says. And when it comes to formulating a functional beverage, it’s not a job just anyone can do.

Sodium consumption has been a large concern in the food industry because, in excess, it can lead to high blood pressure, which can increase the risk for heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and kidney failure, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Now consider that according to Russell Keast, associate professor at the Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University in Australia, the average American consumes nearly four times the recommended amount.

With new beverage flavors fighting for consumers’ attention and juice prices higher than usual due to inclement weather, U.S. orange juice sales have declined during the last several years, says Sarah Theodore, global drinks analyst for Mintel Food & Drink, Chicago. More specifically, orange juice sales were down about 9 percent in food, drug and mass retail, excluding Walmart, between 2008 and 2010, she says.