Somerset brand highlights its growth north of the border
AS the weather heats up, the demand for cider increases, with four-packs in particular flying off the shelf in convenience.
And Thatchers Cider is keen to highlight the latest Circana data that shows it is the fastest-growing cider maker in Scotland, increasing volume by an impressive 25.7% over the last year.
Thatchers is also investing in a large-scale advertising campaign this summer, made with Oscar-winning studio Aardman, putting them front of mind for cider drinkers.
The Somerset firm says this will give stores a great opportunity to capitalise by putting its packs front and centre – with Thatchers Gold, its flagship and biggest-selling cider, in a prime position.
Fruit ciders are always popular in Scotland and sales in summer can rise by 30%.
With Thatchers Blood Orange being the fastest growing fruit cider in Scotland, up by a phenomenal 69% on last year, according to Circana, the company says it’s great for bringing new drinkers to the category.
Stocking other sweeter, lighter ciders, such as Thatchers Haze – Scotland’s favourite cloudy cider, and Thatchers new release, Apple & Blackcurrant, in grab-and-go four packs will also drive sales, reckons the cider maker.
And now Thatchers has released its top-selling alcohol-free cider in a can format for the first time.
Thatchers Zero, which is the fastest-selling single bottle of all low/no ciders on the market, became available in 4x440ml can packs in supermarkets from 15 April. Asda and Tesco have launched it first, with other major outlets following suit over the summer.
Alcohol-free drinks are thriving and showing dynamic growth, currently accounting for around £304million of the take-home market and surging by 13.5% in value in the past year, says Kantar.
There has also been an increase of 439,000 buyers in the same period, growing the total number of households buying no/low products to around nine million.
Thatchers Zero is crafted using a selection of favourite bittersweet apple varieties and pressed at the mill on Thatchers’ Somerset farm.
In line with Thatchers’ sustainability ambitions, the packs are 100% recyclable and made using FSE certified card.
Boss Martin Thatcher, said: “Thatchers Zero is the first choice for those who don’t want to compromise on taste and enjoyment, delivering on the premium experience that people are looking for.
“With the low/no-alcohol category booming, we’re excited to bring Zero into this popular format for the first time – giving customers a breadth of choice and increased value and volume.
“The innovation reflects the increasingly aspirational nature of the alcohol-free category, with low/no drinks moving from something people are sampling to being a fridge staple.”
