Since people have often posted here about $CELH I took the opportunity to put a few cans in my snack cellar for a tasting. As I naturally don't do this for my own private enjoyment, I'm now posting a mini review including a comparison with the competition. After all, I wouldn't dream of paying €2.90 per can just for pleasure and not thinking about the added value for the community ;-)
--- REVIEW ---
The Celsius cans are imported goods from the UK and Sweden. However, the prices are also quite steep in their home country at £1.79 for 355 ml. The drinks are sugar-free and contain lots of caffeine and taurine as well as vitamin C and B vitamins and "extracts of guarana, ginger and green tea", whatever that means.
The taste of the Celsius drinks is quite convincing. Of course, this always depends on the variety, but the flavors I tested were all okay - neither particularly good nor particularly bad. The only outstanding flavor for me personally was Berry Lemonade because it reminded me of something I used to eat or drink on vacation as a child.
-- Competitor analysis
When comparing the position on the market, there is no getting around the comparison with industry leader Red Bull. In direct comparison, Celsius is aimed at a more health-conscious target group. This is made clear by the fact that Red Bull dispenses with vitamins C, B2 and B7 and does not use any plant extracts. Red Bull was also very slow to offer sugar-free versions of its drinks, and these are rarely available in German supermarkets.
However, the almost homeopathic use of caffeine in Red Bull is also noticeable. I would argue, however, that this has nothing to do with the brand, but that there is probably some bullshit law on caffeine limits to protect citizens from the consequences of their choices. At least all the brands tested from Germany only had a maximum caffeine content of 32mg/100ml, while all the products tested from abroad contained around 55mg/100ml of caffeine. In any case, it was quite an adjustment for me to suddenly be twice as awake as before after consuming a maximum of 1 can per day. (If anyone feels generous enough to reward me for the mortal danger I have put myself in for you, you are of course welcome to support me with coins)
Apart from Red Bull, which is not listed on the stock exchange, the biggest competition is of course the world's biggest soft drink manufacturers. Pepsi $PEP (+0.08%) has a wholly owned subsidiary Rockstar Energy, which became part of the group following a takeover in 2020. Coca Cola $KO (-0.14%) on the other hand, has a 20% stake in the Monster Beverage Corporation $MNST (+0.22%)
It is interesting to note that the two global corporations missed out on the entry into the trend drink for a long time and are only participating to a limited extent now. In typical Pepsi fashion, Rockstar is a very uninnovative brand that fails to attract attention through clever marketing. Pepsi, aware of this, felt compelled to invest money in Celsius and enter into a partnership.
Monster is somewhat more agile overall and is trying to break away from the sometimes negative image of the core brand through social media campaigns and diversification. Monster's portfolio also includes the Reign Energy brand, which uses certain additives to target the sports scene. (Interestingly, Reign also has a fairly unknown sub-brand with a white can instead of a black one, which in my opinion is very specifically oriented towards Celsius)
-- Market shares
In addition to the well-known large corporations, there are countless small players in the energy drinks market. The market for energy drinks is much more fragmented than the market for classic soft drinks and colas, in which the large corporations essentially account for over 90% of the market share.
Many influencers and sports brands are now also launching their own energy drinks. Probably the best known is GÖNRGY from Montana Black. The drink NOCCO from Sweden is also very well known throughout Europe. Funnily enough, Sweden also has a special relationship with Celsius, where the drink was originally more popular than in the USA itself.
-- Conclusion
It would go too far to analyze the company and its key figures, but I will be happy to do so if required. From a consumer perspective, I would buy the products again if they were significantly cheaper. From an investor's point of view, I find the company more interesting than traditional consumer goods stocks. The market for energy drinks is much more exciting and dynamic than many other food products. Especially as caffeine and possibly sugar create a certain habituation, but are not quite as controversial as nicotine or tobacco investments, for example.
Nevertheless, a certain amount of caution is advisable. In the energy drink market, a great deal depends on marketing. Red Bull in particular is very strong here and has many fans, which is mainly due to the close (and costly) link between the drink and a number of extreme sports. This is both a blessing and a curse. The opportunity lies in being able to sell relatively cheap ingredients for juicy prices through good PR, but you are in constant competition with other players who are trying to do the same. Basically, the products of the different brands are all very similar, so it is very little about producing the best drink and very much about having a good image.
In this respect, there is a very strong leverage that can swing in both directions.
P.S. It took me almost 1.5 hours to write this text about funny colorful fizzy drinks.
