Scotland’s most valuable off-trade RTDs+ brands

Sooped up

WKD remains clear RTD leader in the Scottish off-trade but the category is wide-ranging and performances of different brands and products varied a great deal in 2014.
WKD remains clear RTD leader in the Scottish off-trade but the category is wide-ranging and performances of different brands and products varied a great deal in 2014.
AT Scottish Grocer we often speak of certain drinks as young adult brands. They’re not exclusively for young adults, of course, but often they do hold special appeal for 18-24 year-olds.
And many ready-to-drink (RTD) products and some speciality drinks have been included in the young adult portfolio.
But recently both RTDs and specialities have, like some other categories, become considerably more complicated. And that can make them quite difficult to manage in retail, especially in shops where space is tight.
Let’s take RTDs first. The category increased Scottish off-trade sales by 8% last year and that’s despite Nielsen measuring the clear and continuing market leader WKD as down 6%, a recent very successful new product Crabbies Ginger Beer also in decline, and a former category stalwart Bacardi Breezer as dramatically down.
The success stories are a very varied mix – alcoholic energy drink Dragon Soop, freeze and squeeze range Parrot Bay, the classic RTD Hooch, and premixes from Gordon’s, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan.
In specialities V-Kat Schnapps appears to be in a much stronger position than last year.
Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack saw sales grow very considerably.
And Midori looks to be a drink that’s worth watching.
But the category generally was down, even though market leader Southern Comfort showed some growth.
Despite some decent summer weather, both of the Pimm’s lines in the top 15 saw their sales fall.

Scotland’s top off-trade RTDs by sales value :

Rank

Brand

MAT £000s to w/e 04.01.14

MAT £000s to /we 03.01.15

% Change

Total RTD

28,475

30,790

8

1

WKD

6,701

6,289

-6

2

Smirnoff Ice

2,807

2,799

0

3

Crabbies Ginger Beer

2,318

1,691

-27

4

Dragon Soop

883

1,382

57

5

Parrot Bay

984

1,224

24

6

Smirnoff Sorbet

n/a

1,175

n/a

7

Gordon’s G&T

1,192

1,145

-4

8

Gordon’s Diet G&T

772

1,057

37

9

Caribbean Twist

917

920

0

10

Jack Daniel’s & Cola

854

845

-1

11

Bacardi Breezer

1,509

813

-46

12

Cptn Morgan Spiced & Cola

504

563

12

13

Smirnoff & Cola

368

534

45

14

Smirnoff & Cranberry

366

491

34

15

Hooch

243

465

91

Scotland’s top off-trade specialities by sales value :

Rank

Brand

MAT £000s to w/e 04.01.14

MAT £000s to /we 03.01.15

% Change

Speciality drinks

13,274

12,456

-6

1

Southern Comfort Original

2,975

2,999

1

2

Malibu Coconut

1,699

1,713

1

3

Pimm’s No 1

1,336

1,126

-16

4

Archers Peach

714

708

-1

5

V-Kat Schnapps

245

569

132

6

Pernod

532

518

-3

7

Cactus Jack Apple Sour

404

307

-24

8

Midori

217

252

16

9

Campari

226

228

1

10

Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack

90

203

124

11

Southern Comfort Lime

221

197

-11

12

Brandx

172

186

8

13

Amore Peach

169

183

8

14

Spirit Of Louisiana

184

178

-3

15

Pimm’s Special Edition

197

167

-15