Beverage in Chile Mapped Whitespaces Report¶
Potential Whitespaces¶
1. Accessible Functional Beverages with Clear Benefits¶
- Market Signals Identified:
- Demand Side Signals:
- Consumers actively seek beverages with tangible health benefits (vitamins, probiotics, adaptogens, natural energy, clean-label) (El Mostrador, 2021; "Current Pains").
- Preference for low/no-sugar options is strong, evidenced by a 21% drop in sugary drink volume post-tax (Escuela de Salud Pública UCH, 2018).
- Pain point: Limited availability and variety of functional beverages, especially outside Santiago and major supermarkets ("Current Pains").
- Pain point: Confusion regarding benefits of novel ingredients and "label clutter" ("Current Pains"; AIM Chile, 2024).
- Trend: Growing interest in "Functionality & Performance Boost" ("Consumption Trends").
- Offer Side Signals:
- Emerging offers of functional drinks, but often niche or with limited distribution ("Niche and Emerging Markets Analysis").
- Ingredient suppliers like Grupo Blumos and Grupo Mathiesen are promoting botanicals and functional ingredients (Grupo Blumos Chile; Grupo Mathiesen).
- Co-packers (e.g., Dos Banderas, Ur Garbia) provide capability for smaller, innovative brands to launch functional products (Embotelladora Dos Banderas; Grupo Ur Garbia).
- Some retailers are creating dedicated "saludable" sections ("Consumption Trends").
- Demand Side Signals:
- Potential Addressable Market: USD 1.12 billion to USD 2.54 billion.
2. Sophisticated & Varied Low/No-Alcohol (LNA) Options¶
- Market Signals Identified:
- Demand Side Signals:
- Decreasing per-capita alcohol consumption in Chile (Aprocor, 2024).
- Non-alcoholic beer already holds 1.4% of the beer market, indicating acceptance (Emol, 2023).
- Desire for sophisticated LNA alternatives beyond beer, including wines, spirits, and RTDs, that replicate the sensory experience of alcoholic counterparts ("Niche and Emerging Markets Analysis").
- Pain point: Limited LNA craft options and concerns about taste parity ("Current Pains"; USDA FAS, 2025).
- Offer Side Signals:
- Major breweries launching 0.0% beers ("Consumption Trends").
- Wineries experimenting with dealcoholized wines ("Consumption Trends").
- Nascent development of LNA spirits and RTDs ("Niche and Emerging Markets Analysis").
- Retailers starting to adjust cooler assortments in Horeca for "cero" options ("Consumption Trends").
- Demand Side Signals:
- Potential Addressable Market: USD 0.11 billion to USD 0.45 billion.
3. Convenient & Cost-Neutral Sustainable Packaging (Circular Economy Focus)¶
- Market Signals Identified:
- Demand Side Signals:
- 63% of urban millennials prefer recyclable/returnable containers (El Mostrador, 2021).
- 71% willingness to switch to returnable water bottles if hassle is minimal (eMarket, 2025).
- Pain point: Dominance of single-use PET, scarcity of refill/return programs outside Santiago, perception of eco-lines as expensive or hard to find ("Current Pains").
- Trend: Growing "Eco-Conscious Purchasing" driven by EPR laws and consumer guilt ("Consumption Trends").
- Offer Side Signals:
- Regulatory pressure from EPR law for recycled content ("Value Chain Report").
- Industry players switching to rPET, tethered caps, lightweight cans ("Consumption Trends").
- Pilots of refill and returnable glass schemes are emerging but not widespread ("Consumption Trends").
- Some retailers citing lack of reverse-logistics support ("Current Pains").
- Demand Side Signals:
- Potential Addressable Market: USD 2.38 billion to USD 5.07 billion.
4. Truly Seamless Omnichannel Beverage Availability (Speed & Reliability Focus)¶
- Market Signals Identified:
- Demand Side Signals:
- Rapid growth of e-commerce and quick-commerce, raising expectations for "any-time, any-place" access ("Value Chain Report"; RedBakery, 2022).
- Online F&B sales in Santiago ~5% and growing ("Consumption Trends").
- Pain point: Stock-outs of trending SKUs, especially in convenience stores (INE retail audit, 2024, in "Current Pains").
- Pain point: Delivery delays and inconsistencies, particularly in regional cities and rural areas ("Current Pains").
- Offer Side Signals:
- Expansion of convenience store chains (OK Market, upa!, Big John) by >10% new stores p.a. ("Consumption Trends").
- Emergence of "30-minute beer" dark-store models ("Consumption Trends").
- Logistics providers like QuadMinds and Jungheinrich offer solutions for route optimization and WMS (QuadMinds, 2024; Jungheinrich Chile).
- Need for real-time POS data and predictive analytics for better demand planning ("Consumption Trends").
- Demand Side Signals:
- Potential Addressable Market: USD 1.42 billion to USD 4.05 billion.
5. Affordable Premium & Craft Beverages¶
- Market Signals Identified:
- Demand Side Signals:
- Growing consumer interest in premium attributes: unique flavors, origin stories, craft authenticity (T13, 2024).
- Pain point: High shelf price of many craft beers and gourmet juices limits widespread adoption, with craft beer share stalling around 3% ("Current Pains"; T13, 2024).
- Consumers perceive "gourmet juices as too expensive for everyday" (Emol, 2023).
- Offer Side Signals:
- Existence of a craft beer segment and emerging artisanal soft drinks ("Value Chain Report").
- Co-packers supporting SME brewers and niche producers ("Value Chain Report").
- Retailers like Cencosud potentially open to private-label craft collaborations (Embotelladora Dos Banderas).
- D2C models being explored by some craft producers ("Consumption Trends").
- Demand Side Signals:
- Potential Addressable Market: USD 0.11 billion to USD 0.41 billion.
6. Hyper-Personalized & Niche Functional Beverages with Clear Communication¶
- Market Signals Identified:
- Demand Side Signals:
- Emerging desire for beverages targeting highly specific functional needs (e.g., cognitive focus for gamers, relaxation, specific sports nutrition) or niche demographics ("Consumption Trends").
- Pain point: General lack of hyper-segmented offerings; most functional drinks target broad needs ("Niche and Emerging Markets Analysis").
- Pain point: Confusion over benefits of novel ingredients and "confusing" front-of-pack labels (AIM Chile, 2024; "Current Pains").
- Offer Side Signals:
- Ingredient suppliers offering adaptogens, amino acids, and other novel functional components ("Consumption Trends").
- Co-packers enabling small-batch production suitable for niche product testing and launch ("Value Chain Report").
- D2C channels and online communities offer routes to target niche audiences ("Niche and Emerging Markets Analysis").
- Pending regulation for ingredients like CBD could open new functional niches ("Consumption Trends").
- Demand Side Signals:
- Potential Addressable Market: USD 0.012 billion to USD 0.18 billion.
References¶
- AIM Chile. (2024, Jan 18). Radiografía al consumo de bebidas alcohólicas de los chilenos. https://aimchile.cl/radiografia-al-consumo-de-bebidas-alcoholicas-de-los-chilenos-el-725-declara-beber-habitualmente-y-el-37-lo-hizo-antes-de-los-18-anos/
- Aprocor. (2024, Jul 24). Chile es el tercer país de la OCDE que más disminuyó su consumo de alcohol. https://aprocor.cl/chile-es-el-tercer-pais-de-la-ocde-que-mas-disminuyo-su-consumo-de-alcohol-en-la-ultima-decada/
- Consumption Trends Analysis. (2025).
- Current Pains Analysis. (2025).
- Diarios en Red. (2024, Jul 30). Cerveza en Chile: Producción y Consumo en Auge con un Incremento del 88,7% en 18 Años. https://www.diariosenred.com/cerveza-en-chile-produccion-y-consumo-en-auge-con-un-incremento-del-887-en-18-anos/
- El Mostrador. (2021, Dec 7). El mercado de bebidas sin alcohol sigue creciendo. https://www.elmostrador.cl/generacion-elastica/negocios/2021/12/07/el-mercado-de-bebidas-sin-alcohol-sigue-creciendo-y-se-posiciona-como-una-nueva-tendencia/
- Embotelladora Dos Banderas. ¿Quiénes somos? https://dosbanderas.cl/quienes-somos/
- Emol. (2023, Jul 8). La “embestida” de los tragos sin alcohol: Cifras y negocios que han proliferado en torno a la creciente tendencia de las "cero". https://m.emol.com/noticias/Economia/2023/07/08/1099840/tragos-sin-alcohol-tendencia-cero.html
- Escuela de Salud Pública UCH. (2018, Jul 4). Consumo de bebidas azucaradas disminuyó 21 %. https://www.saludpublica.uchile.cl/noticias/146440/consumo-de-bebidas-azucaradas-disminuyo-21-tras-impuesto
- Grupo Blumos Chile. Soluciones para bebidas. https://blumos.cl/soluciones-blumos/alimentos/bebidas/
- Grupo Mathiesen. Materias primas para la industria alimentaria. https://mathiesen.cl/proveedor-de-materias-primas-para-la-industria-alimentaria/
- Grupo Ur Garbia. Grupo Ur Garbia | Envasadora y desarrollo de bebestibles. https://www.urgarbia.cl/
- INE. (2024, Aug 30). Índice de Actividad del Comercio aumentó 4,3% interanualmente en julio de 2024. https://www.ine.gob.cl/prensa/2024/08/30/%C3%ADndice-de-actividad-del-comercio-aument%C3%B3-4-3-interanualmente-en-julio-de-2024
- Jungheinrich Chile. Logística para la industria alimentaria. https://www.jungheinrich.cl/industrias/logistica-para-la-industria-alimentaria-1432216
- Mordor Intelligence. Bottled Water Market. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/es/industry-reports/bottled-water-market
- Mordor Intelligence. Modern Trade Retail Market. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/es/industry-reports/modern-trade-retail-market
- Niche and Emerging Markets Analysis. (2025).
- QuadMinds. (2024, Oct 14). Cadena de suministro ¿Qué es y cuál es su importancia y objetivo?. https://www.quadminds.com/blog/cadena-de-suministro-que-es
- RedBakery. (2022, Apr 8). Tiendas de Conveniencia: ¡crecimiento explosivo!. https://redbakery.cl/tiendas-de-conveniencia-crecimiento-explosivo/
- T13. (2024, Jul 30). Chilenos beben 57 litros de cerveza al año: consumo aumentó casi un 90% en 18 años. https://www.t13.cl/noticia/tendencias/chilenos-beben-57-litros-cerveza-ano-consumo-aumento-casi-90-18-anos-30-7-2024
- USDA FAS. (2025, Mar 10). Report Name:Beer and Ingredients Opportunities in Chile - USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. https://www.fas.usda.gov/networks/chile/beer-and-ingredients-opportunities-chile
- Value Chain Report on the Beverage Industry in Chile. (2025).
- eMarket. (2025, Jan 14). Mercado de Agua Embotellada en Chile, Informe 2025-2034 | Cuota, Tamano. https://emarket.pe/industria/agua-embotellada-en-chile