In recent years, kombucha is been used as a healthful alternative to sodas and conventional fizzy drinks. It is widely accepted as a functional drink as it is a fizzy drink made from tea, sugar, yeast, & bacteria and during the process of fermentation, produces friendly probiotic bacteria. Kombucha is highly loaded with antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins which makes it a wonder drink to help maintain gut health.
Growing demand for organic products and an increase in health consciousness among the consumers are the factors that are boosting the growth of the global kombucha market. Major players in the kombucha market are taking note of the rising preferences of consumers for the functional beverage and its renowned health benefits. Further, a surge in sales of kombucha is experienced and is becoming an influential player in the beverage economy. As fermentation of kombucha makes probiotics, it has numerous health benefits. Probiotics strengthen the immune system, help with irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea. Additionally, kombucha helps reduce weight and ward off heart disease & high blood pressure. All such health benefits of kombucha led to an increase in its acceptance as a healthy drink which is driving the overall market growth. In addition to this, the availability of wide range of flavors of kombucha, new product launch, and increase in consumer base in developing countries are the factors that are increasing the revenue of the global market. For instance, in March 2019, Revive Kombucha launched Revive Sparkling Kombucha™ which is an organic, traditionally fermented, and shelf-stable craft brew. Furthermore, rapidly expanding distribution centers with growing partnerships with the manufacturers may produce various opportunities for the growth of the global market over the forecast period.
The global kombucha market is bifurcated based on type, product, distribution channel, and region. Based on the type, the global market is classified into original and flavored. The product segment consists of inorganic and organic. Based on the distribution channel, the global market is divided into supermarkets/ hypermarkets, online retailers, health stores, convenience stores, and others.
North America is estimated to rule the global kombucha market and is likely to retain its dominance over the forecast period. The growing popularity of functional drinks, rise in health-conscious consumers, and increase in demand for kombucha owing to its health benefits are factors expected to drive regional market growth. Europe is estimated to be the second-largest region in the market and is predicted to hold a significant amount of share in the market. Asia Pacific is anticipated to experience faster growth and this is attributed to the increase in preference for flavored health drinks and growing awareness regarding the health benefits of kombucha.
Some of the key manufacturers that are operating in the global kombucha market are GT’s Living Foods, Brew Dr. Kombucha, Hain Celestial, Revive Kombucha, Health-Ade, PepsiCo Inc. (Kevita), NessAlla Kombucha, Makana Beverages Inc., Kombucha Wonder Drink, and Humm Kombucha LLC, among others.