CIDER has had a good 12 months and, more recently a good summer of 2014. But that comes on the back of a period when the boom of a few years ago had seemed to slow.
However during those trickier days flavoured cider had still shown substantial growth. And, in the current good times for cider, it’s still the flavoured products that seem to be doing best.
Linsey Adams, customer marketing manger at Chiili Marketing, which handles Swedish cider Rekorderlig, said Nielsen data for the 12 months to 21 June this year showed that in the off-trade total cider value sales had grown by 11% but that flavoured cider had shown value growth of 64%. Flavoured cider accounted for 24% of total cider value sales, up from 16.5% for the previous 12 months.
“Rekorderlig Cider is the eighth-largest cider brand in the UK by value and the fastest-growing of the top 10 brands,” said Adams. “The brand’s flavoured variants have experienced growth of 59% in value sales in the latest moving annual totals.
“Rekorderlig’s share of flavoured cider in the impulse channel has seen a 2% increase on last year and now stands at 12%,” she said.
“It’s encouraging to see the brand steal share in this channel and see customers opting for Rekorderlig given the choice.
“The success of exciting variants such as Rekorderlig Winter Cider and Rekorderlig Passionfruit, with yearly value growth of 506.7% and 2,828% respectively, prove that there is consumer demand for new flavours.”
Summer might remain important to cider sales but growing consumption outside of the warmer months is actually one of the most important contributing factors to its growth, Adams says.
And she reckons Rekorderlig is leading by producing seasonal ciders that ensure consumer interest whatever the weather.
This year’s limited-edition summer flavour was Rekorderlig Apple and Guava and Rekorderlig Winter Cider is back for its fifth year this winter.
She also sees a distinct move by consumers towards premium products. Shoppers are ready to pay more for good quality and taste, she says. She argues that all retailers’ core ranges should include some of the category’s top performers.
Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime is the company’s highest-profile flavour and said to be the UK’s sixth-biggest flavoured cider SKU in impulse outlets.
“It is performing exceptionally well, growing in value by 84.8% to £2.3m in the last year and is an absolute must-stock for any convenience store,” she said.
“If the retailer has the capacity, they should consider stocking the full range of Rekorderlig, this gives the consumer a choice between a variety of fast-selling, premium ciders. Alongside Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime, Rekorderlig Wild Berries should be stocked, this SKU has grown in value in the impulse channel by 78.3% in the last year.
“For retailers with limited chilled space, it’s important to get the balance right between core products and limited editions. Retailers should merchandise top sellers alongside innovative seasonal products such as Rekorderlig Winter Cider that encourage new consumers into the market.”
