The research firm said that ‘on the go’ consumption was increasingly important to Chinese consumers due to the rapid growth of urban convenience stores.
Furthermore, smaller packages also held greater appeal for the growing culture surrounding office snacks, Mintel said.
Today, most consumers in China (75%) drink carbonated soft drinks during the middle of the afternoon, and nearly half (52%) of consumers drink carbonated soft drinks at work, according to Mintel.
Tan Heng Hong, senior research analyst at Mintel, said: “Besides flavour innovation and natural carbonated soft drinks, the potential of single-serve package has not been fully exploited.
“Due to their small size, mini packs, if marketed creatively, can be a useful tool to drive sales.”
Mintel also noted that, while Chinese consumers were ready to switch to healthier alternatives of carbonated soft drinks, brands had yet to exploit opportunities in this respect.
This was despite 72% of consumers trying to avoid drinks with artificial ingredients, and 75% wanting to buy drinks with natural ingredients, Mintel said.