Soft drinks sales patterns change significantly in the warmer months says Scottish brands giant
SOFT drinks are worth £802m in Scotland and the category grew by 13% during the summer months in 2014 says manufacturer AG Barr.
The company says water, juice drinks and other flavoured carbonates see the biggest summer sales increases. And It said its Strathmore water brand is growing at 80%, its Barr Family range is showing 8% growth and Irn Bru is number-one Scottish grocery brand in Scotland.
Head of marketing Adrian Troy said: “Soft drinks is one of the most profitable categories in a store, so retailers should ensure that the soft drinks fixture is highly visible, well presented and located in a high footfall area.”
He said AG Barr will support its range with investment this summer and stressed the importance of chilled drinks.
“Chilled availability is the key driver for soft drinks sales, particularly between April and August – the really critical summer months,” he said.
“Shoppers consume 22% more soft drinks in Scottish impulse during the summer.
“Open deck chillers will encourage people to buy more soft drinks as they are easier to shop and they enable you to display a large choice of chilled products.”
He added that 75% of purchase decisions are made at the soft drinks fixture, and argued that retailers should use offers and promotions to attract customers to the shelves.
“Value is a key priority for consumers, so a range of eye-catching deals including price-marked packs and multibuys encourages sales.
“Make it easy for customers to find what they want by grouping categories together.”
