Carbonated soft drinks and bottled water are the universally preferred beverages across generations. From there, nuances emerge that shed light on the life stage priorities of different cohorts. Similarly, differences in product choices are seen by household income level and even ethnicity. Tatiana Lopez Aranzazu, consumer and shopper insights consultant at Circana, discusses differences across demographic cohorts and uncovers opportunities for manufacturers and retailers. 

Highlights: 

• Energy drinks are popular among most generations. But they are less relevant for boomers, who prioritize probiotic and low-sugar dairy drinks. 
• Functional beverages, particularly those delivering energy, weight control, and better-for-you attributes, are growing in popularity. 
• High-income households prefer beverages with protein and probiotic claims. Low-income households lean toward energy drinks. 
• Consumers are most likely to shop the grocery channel for most of the top beverage attributes. But mass and supercenters lead for immune defense claims, and club stores are the top channel for protein claims.