February 24, 2026 – Today the buzz is about functional beverages. But before functional beverages, juice stood at the top of the list for healthy drinks. Juices are packed with nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, plus antioxidants. However, juice consumption and reputation have been hurt by negative sentiments and actions toward sugar content and sweeteners. This has downgraded the occasions for drinking juices and the people who drink them.
How are Older Juice Consumers Different From Younger Juice Consumers?
It may be possible to bring older consumers in the US back to juice drinking by marketing juices for their sugar reduction and fiber content. It can be more difficult to reach younger US consumers, namely, Generation Z and Millennials. Gen Z juice trends show that these younger US consumers want clean beverages and functional beverages. Ingredients will need to be reduced, plus younger US consumers may not respond to claims for 100% natural. They may have different definitions of quality. Gen Z juice trends also show that younger US consumers are looking for a broader range of functional beverage features, including protein and key nutrients to energize their day.
Why Do US Juices Need a Functional Rebranding?
Given the competition from functional beverages, juices may need to be rebranded with new messaging. This can include messages about sugar reduction where they make sense, reformatting for easy-to-consume products, stacked health benefits, wider distribution of juice products, and reinforcement of occasions for drinking juices.
How are Rising Juice Prices Affecting Brand Loyalty in The US?
Juice prices have been rising in the US, which is upsetting the price-value equation. US consumers are less willing to buy juice when prices are going up. Price hikes cause US consumers to watch juices more carefully and to turn to store brands and private label brands for better value. Some juices in the US are taking a different approach by highlighting their features that help justify the higher prices that also boost profits for the brand. Others are seeking ways to incorporate juice into expanded categories, for example, carbonates.
How is Sugar Reduction Shaping US Juice Consumption?
US consumers pay attention to sugar and sugar reduction. In fact, two-thirds of US participants in a consumer trends research conducted by Innova Market Insights say they pay attention to sugar in their diet. Furthermore, US consumers take action against sugar using sugar reduction. A majority of US consumers who pay attention to sugar are consuming less of it. But there’s also a bit of a paradox because while US consumers are cutting back on sugar, they also are seeking out real sugar. US consumers place a high value on natural ingredients, including real sugar. US juice brands, along with other functional beverages, are trying to cut down on sugar content through sugar reduction while switching to other natural sweeteners. Sugar-free juices are slow to emerge.
Can the Natural Benefits Be Highlighted?
One strategy for US juice brands to impact US juice market trends is to change focus from the sweeteners in juice to the other natural benefits of juice. US consumers notice when products support more than one health benefit. For example, a majority of US participants in a consumer trends research say that improving their digestive health also improves their immunity, skin, and energy levels.
Can Juices Expand Beyond The Traditional Breakfast Occasion?
In the US, juice is associated with breakfast. One way to change US juice market trends is to connect juice to other meals and to snacks. This is especially important for older US Boomer and Gen X consumers because they are the ones who are most likely to associate juice drinking with breakfast. Younger US consumers who are Generation Z and Millennials have different meal and beverage habits and are more apt to choose juice at other times of the day. For example, Gen Z juice trends show that more US Gen Z consumers drink juice at lunch or mid-morning.
What Role Does Flavor Play in the US Juice Market?
Flavor is really important to the US juice drinker. In fact, flavor and natural ingredients are leading US juice market trends as the two most important factors to US juice purchasers. Don’t discount the importance of flavor. Flavor and real and natural ingredients are most important to consumers buying juices and smoothies, so US juice brands need to spotlight flavor, natural, and real ingredients.
Health, Wellness, and Clean in Juices in the US
Two features that could help establish US juice market trends are clean and healthy. US consumers prioritize products with health and wellness features and with the types of functional ingredients featured online and in social media. Juices in the US have expanded into shot-size formats and smoothies, but they have even more opportunity in better-for-you and functional options.
Grab-and-Go Helps Move Juice
Snacking and convenient grab-and-go formats could expand the US juice marketplace. These positionings create more occasions for juice drinking and more places to buy juice. Greater accessibility positions juice next to the carbonated soft drinks and non-alcoholic drinks that especially appeal to younger generations.
What’s Next for Juices in the US?
US juice brands can make changes to improve the future for their products. Increasing and stacking health benefits can attract younger generations of US consumers and expand the opportunities for drinking juice. GLP-1-friendly juices that are sugar-free can appeal to the growing number of US GLP-1 users. Boosting convenience by making packaged juices easier to buy, consume, and dispose of can attract the Gen Z consumer. Juices may need to focus their product line into either value juices at a lower price point or benefit-rich juices that have a higher price. Enhancing functional ingredients could allow for focus on less sweet juice products.
This article is based on Innova’s Juice & Juice Drinks in the US report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to learn more.