The fruit juice industry is going through one of its most challenging times in recent years. Between the orange production crisis, rising raw material prices, changing consumer habits, and growing competition from other soft drinks, the sector is being forced to rethink its development model.
According to French market data, fruit juice sales in large-scale retail outlets have decreased by 31% over the past decade, from 1,349 billion liters in 2015 to 928,9 million liters in 2025. This decline, operators now define as structural and no longer linked to temporary factors.
There are several factors behind the decline. The climate and plant health crises have reduced the availability of fruit, especially oranges, significantly increasing production costs. At the same time, consumers have shifted their purchases toward less expensive and perceived lighter beverages.
From 2022 to 2025, juice prices increased by 24%, further dampening demand. Even inflation has failed to support the overall value of the category, which continues to decline while the soft drinks market performs better.
For major producers, including Joker and Tropicana, the situation also represents an opportunity to rethink the positioning of their offerings.
According to Carine Coque, Tropicana's marketing and category management director, the sector's revitalization involves three main pillars: improving pricing and promotions, enhancing characteristics such as naturalness, taste, and nutritional value, and reorganizing the in-store department to make purchasing easier and more engaging.
The goal is also to expand consumption opportunities, traditionally concentrated at breakfast, by intercepting new needs throughout the rest of the day.
Meanwhile, competition from fruit drinks is growing, with volumes increasing 9,5% between 2020 and 2025. According to the French trade association Unijus, these products are now the main competitor to juices.
The association, however, emphasizes the need to clearly distinguish between the two categories. Juices without added sugar, emphasizes Secretary General Aurore Bescond, offer different nutritional benefits than common fruit-flavored drinks and should not be equated with products like sugary soft drinks.
The challenge for the sector will therefore be twofold: containing the impact of rising costs and, at the same time, convincing consumers of the added value of products increasingly penalized by inflation and changing food preferences. For manufacturers, the ability to innovate recipes, formats, and consumption opportunities will be crucial to reversing a negative trend that has persisted for ten years.
