Functional and Natural RTD Beverage Market Worth $23 Billion

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The functional and natural RTD beverage market has reached $23 billion, said Packaged Facts in a new report, according to BevNET. It also stated that energy drinks are the driving force behind the market's growth, along with RTD teas and sport drinks, which each segment gaining between five and 10 percent.

The report estimated that the market saw a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 6 percent since 2006 even in the face of a global recession.

The report also noted that energy drinks enticed consumers by offering "a distinctive benefit that they need and want" and appealing to their image consciousness, but that it was energy drinks' actual energy benefits that have sustained market growth.