Aston Manor points to value and convenience
AFFORDABILITY and handy formats that allow consumers to enjoy their drinks at home are key factors for retailers to consider, reckon bosses at Aston Manor Cider.
The brand’s marketing controller, Calli O’Brien, pointed to the negative impact of both the covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis on shoppers’ budgets and said: “Aston Manor’s ethos is all around affordability.
“We are here for shoppers, helping them to save with our affordable cider, allowing them to focus their spend on what really matters.
“Our range provides shoppers with an affordable solution, without trading down on quality, so they can be assured they are not compromising when needing to spend a little less on cider.”
O’Brien also recommended that retailers dual-stock plastic bottled products alongside cans, to help attract more customers into their stores, pointing out that a third of shoppers only ever buy cider in cans.
She highlighted the launch of a pint can four-pack by award-winning British offering Crumpton Oaks as meeting many consumers’ needs. O’Brien said it meant they could get their hands on “great quality cider that doesn’t cost the Earth”.
From a retailer perspective, the marketing boss also said the aim of the new format was to broaden the brand’s consumer base by attracting new shoppers to the category, and to reinforce its quality and value proposition.
O’Brien said larger multipacks were important for ensuring consumers could enjoy drinks with friends and family.
She added: “Products such as the pint cans in our Crumpton Oaks four-pack are a popular option to enable consumers to keep their supply stocked up with hygienic single-serve options.”
Alongside valuing convenience, she reckoned customers were becoming more focused on their drink experience at home, especially for a variety of celebrations and get-togethers throughout the year.
Claiming that alcohol tended to see an uplift in sales during the spring and summer seasons, she said: “We expect shoppers to continue this focus on convenience.
“For many, this means buying chilled cider straight from the fridge in the local and independent retailers to enjoy at home.
“Cider is the impulse drink of choice, so retailers can respond to this by offering a 100% chilled range, stocking a wide variety of options in cans and bottles.”
O’Brien also pointed to the increasing popularity of flavoured ciders, saying customers liked to be experimental with their drinks and that many were open to trying new seasonal offerings.
She said consumers of flavoured ciders traditionally tended to be a younger audience who liked to know the ingredients of what they were drinking and saw flavoured cider as an easy-to-drink beverage.
And she advised: “If a store has limited chiller space, then it is worth retailers at least ensuring there is a good selection of flavoured ciders available chilled alongside top-selling ciders.”
