Consumers act less on impulse when treating friends
ADULT gift lists often feature a bottle of a favourite spirit and, reflecting the celebratory mood of the festive season, indulgent treats and luxurious brands are snapped up quickly.
Pernod Ricard UK quoted research by Toluna, saying that 60% of shoppers will give alcohol as a gift this Christmas and that, despite current economic pressures, 40% intend to treat friends and family.
And in time for the gifting season, the drinks giant has given its Havana Club 7-Year-Old a festive makeover with a new Black and Gold Limited-Edition bottle, which features a metallic screen-printed finish.
Diageo also sees gifting as an important sales opportunity, particularly at this time of year.
Lauren Priestly, head of category development off-trade at Diageo, advised: “When it comes to deciding which products to stock, we suggest considering trending spirits.
“For example, year-on-year, whiskies prove to be popular. In fact, whisky accounts for 30% of all gifting sales in the off-trade.
“Maintaining a range of high-quality whiskies at various price points will be beneficial, appealing to all customers, budgets and taste preferences.”
Priestly went on to say that there is a burgeoning diversity within the whisky category, adding: “For example, a whisky like Haig Club can be used to create unique, exciting twists on popular spritz serves.”
Pernod Ricard’s advice is to expect three key trends this Christmas: Growth in at-home group socialising; increased budget control and less spontaneous purchasing; and investment of time to make drinks special.
James Bremner, on-trade channel director, added: “Invest in secondary promotional space to display premium wines and spirits, with better margins, to inspire incremental trade-up and gifting purchases.”
Moving away from whisky, Priestly at Diageo said: “Gin forms the base of many popular serves.
“It is worth leveraging the brand recognition of Gordon’s Special Dry London Gin to encourage people to try other options in the Gordon’s range, for example, Gordon’s White Peach Distilled Gin and Gordon’s Tropical Passionfruit Distilled Gin.”
She called Baileys a “perfect choice for the colder months of the year”, adding that it accounts for 64% of cream coffee liqueur sales and pointing out new varieties including Baileys Apple Pie and Baileys Eton Mess.
