Halloween a great opportunity, says AG Barr
SUMMER may be over, but Halloween presents retailers with the opportunity to boost their soft drinks sales.
That’s the view of AG Barr, with the soft drink firm suggesting retailers bring some fun to their in-store displays to support seasonal sales.
Adrian Troy, marketing director at AG Barr, said: “After more than a year of restrictions and many missing out on trick or treating last year, Halloween is set to be bigger than ever in 2021.
Halloween is the third biggest retail event in the UK, according to IGD figures, so creating displays and introducing new flavours is well worth the time and effort, according to Troy, particularly in 2021.
He said: “The Halloween occasion represents a significant opportunity for retailers to grow sales during what is now a key period in the UK retail calendar.
“Pre Covid, one in three people celebrated either by attending or hosting a Halloween party and seven out of 10 shoppers did not celebrate Halloween at all in 2020.”
With Halloween celebrations expected to bounce back from low levels last year, AG Barr has suggested retailers stock up on limited edition Barr Sours.
The limited edition carbonates come in Sour Apple and Sour Berry flavours. Both retail at £0.79 RRP per 500ml bottle.
With Sours, AG Barr aims to build more excitement around Halloween, in a bid to help drive impulse sales.
Troy said: “Soft drinks and confectionary are still the biggest profit drivers, with shoppers stocking up on take home packs of soft drinks or parties and smaller formats to hand out to trick or treaters.”
AG Barr also recommended stocking up on its 2L variants of Irn-Bru – the brand’s most popular format – in Original, Sugar Free and Xtra throughout the autumn and winter.
With Irn-Bru’s recent return to TV screens through a £6 million brand investment, AG Barr reckons customer demand will be high.
And things don’t stop with Halloween, with AG Barr suggesting retailers can expect to see plenty more seasonal activity as the festive season approaches.
