Levi Roots Soft Drinks is set to spice up soft drink sales with the launch of new Exotic Kick. The Mango and Coconut flavoured carbonated drink has a kick of chilli, which is designed to appeal to spice-loving 16-35 year old males, the brand’s target audience.

The drink has been developed exclusively for the convenience sector in a 500ml PET £1 PMP format. It adds to the Levi Roots range, including Caribbean Crush and Jamaican Sunset.

Extensive consumer research conducted by Nichols PLC, the parent company of Levi Roots Soft Drinks, has revealed that spicy drinks are set to be a major trend in 2018 as younger people experiment and look for more interesting flavour combinations from around the world.

Ed Jones, senior customer marketing manager for brand owner Nichols PLC, said: “Shoppers are increasingly looking for more variety and exciting taste sensations within soft drinks chillers, so this is the perfect time to introduce Exotic Kick! We’re predicting an explosion of brands tapping into the spice trend in 2018 as we’ve already seen these flavours crossing into categories outside of food, such as alcoholic drinks. Retailers can get ahead of the trend by stocking this exclusive flavour alongside the best-selling Levi Roots Soft Drinks 500ml range, which is growing at +32% currently[1], and is outperforming the total Flavoured Carbonates market in the impulse market, which is up +1.4%.”

Introducing the new flavour as a PMP is a tried and tested formula for Nichols PLC, as Ed explained: “The demand for PMP formats remains strong as shoppers demand much needed value. We are confident this latest addition to the portfolio will give sales a kick, as well as help to grow the overall category.”

Levi Roots Exotic Kick will join the Caribbean Crush and Jamaican Sunset flavours in its existing range of carbonated drinks. All three flavours will not be impacted by the sugar levy, as sugar levels in the drinks are less than 5g per 100ml.