ATLANTA — Sales of energy drinks are rising in the U.S., and the big winner is Monster, according to analysis by UBS analyst Kaumil Gajrawala. Hansen Natural Corp., the California-based parent company of Monster energy drinks, is taking market share from energy drinks owned by Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
Energy-drink sales rose 7.6 percent in the four weeks leading up to July 10, while Hansen’s sales rose 14.8 percent, according to Nielsen data. That was an acceleration for Hansen. The data represent about 25 percent of sales, but recent checks indicate that convenience-store numbers “should also show Monster strength,” Gajrawala wrote Thursday in a note to clients.
Hansen’s dollar market share increased to 25.8 percent, which was 1.6 share points higher than in 2009. Red Bull gained 1.5 share points. But Rockstar lost 0.2 share point, while PepsiCo’s energy brands lost 1 share point and Coca-Cola’s energy-drink brand lost 1.4 share points. Atlanta Journal-Constitution
