Shloer Zero_range

Adult soft drink (ASD) Shloer is introducing its first-ever zero-calorie products this autumn. Under the sub-brand Shloer Zero, two calorie-free SKUs will form the only branded no-calorie proposition in the ASD category, according to manufacturer SHS Drinks.

Available in White Grape and Red Grape variants (rrp £2.36 for a 750ml glass bottle), Shloer Zero is central to SHS Drinks’ drive to increase Shloer’s relevance and appeal amongst younger audiences. It is also hoped that the new duo will create a step-change in permissibility and open up new usage occasions for the brand.

On both the main and neck label, Zero branding appears in light blue – a distinctive colourway which, SHS claims, has come to be readily associated with diet/’lite’/zero-calorie products.

With 85% brand awareness (Monkey See), Shloer is the go-to brand for informal celebrations and family get-togethers; it is a long-established favourite for social gatherings, having led the advancement of ASDs as ‘grown-up’ alternatives to alcohol. Shloer is the no.1 ASD during the Christmas period (Nielsen) and the second-largest bottled ASD brand overall (Nielsen).

Four million consumers drink Shloer (Kantar) and SHS Drinks believes that, with zero-calorie carbonates growing 16% annually and now accounting for 13% of the category (Nielsen), Shloer Zero will be well placed to capitalise on current trends and introduce a new generation of drinkers to the brand.

With Shloer accounting for two of the top three ASD sharing bottle SKUs in impulse (Nielsen), the new Zero pair is set to augment the brand’s existing strong position. Research revealed that, amongst calorie-counting consumers, a ‘zero-calorie’ offering held significantly greater appeal than a ‘low-calorie’ one (VYPR), underlining the key role that calorie-count plays in consumers’ purchase decisions.

Sarah Lawson, head of marketing – softs, at SHS Drinks, says: “Shloer Zero is a breakthrough addition to the brand: it’s a great-tasting, zero-compromise, zero-calorie product – one which doesn’t compel shoppers in independents to choose a trade-off between flavour and sugar content.

“The Zero variants will drive reappraisal and open Shloer up to newer, younger audiences. The brand has long been associated with celebrations and special occasions; these innovative, calorie-free additions to the range now give consumers ‘permission’ to drink Shloer more frequently, creating a bridge to everyday usage. Shloer Zero is zero-calorie and zero-guilt; it offers a way to reduce calories without having to compromise on taste.”