To maximise growth in the beer, wine & spirits category, c-store retailers need to access every means of support at their disposal, so don’t miss out on the clear opportunities.
Beer, wines & spirits continues to be a popular category [NIQ] with consumers in the convenience channel – driven by shopper demand for both on-the-go and take-home products. In a fast-moving retail environment, staying ahead of shopper trends and executing standout in-store promotions is key to unlocking growth.
There are clear factors that influence the opportunity to drive sales in the beers, wines and spirits category:
● Beer sales increase +37% during seasonal events [NIQ]
In-store theatre and activations are beneficial when it comes to increasing sales – particularly for beer. The engagement between retailer and customer strengthens the shopper loyalty and makes it more likely for customers to return and repeat-purchase. So it’s important for suppliers to help retailers access a wide range of free seasonal POS, including exclusive displays during sporting seasons, such as football’s Premier League and rugby’s Six Nations.
Premier League collaboration
As the official beer and non-alcoholic beer of the Premier League, Guinness worked closely with retailers to help them bring the spirit of the game to their stores. A series of activations took place around England, coinciding with dates of football games, with retailers receiving free POS kits, an interactive football game and street food – providing the local communities involved with their own sporting celebration and helping to drive footfall and sales of Guinness 0.0% in-store.
Bobby Singh of BB Nevison Superstore reported a 100% uplift in sales after working with Guinness on an activation in-store. He comments: “Guinness has brought a great celebration to Pontefract, and we’ve been able to dance together, enjoy live music and eat some good pizza. The highlight is being able to bring the whole community together.”
● Spirits are worth £5.5bn to the GB off-trade sector, with vodka alone accounting for £1.1bn [NIQ]
To tap into increasing spirits sales, it’s important for retailers to utilise the merchandising advice and tools available to them.
For example, Diageo recently launched Smirnoff Miami Peach, a peach-flavoured spirit drink. Using the resources available on Diageo One, those signed up could enhance the customer experience by sharing recipe ideas and inspiration – showing how ingredients can be grouped together to create the perfect cocktail night at home. Free promotional point-of-sale is also available, helping to showcase these products in-store to drive sales with shoppers.
● The ready-to-drink (RTD) category is the only impulse beer, wine & spirits category in double-digit growth across the last two years [Nielsen]
In the summertime, consumers are looking for on-the-go solutions, so retailers should put increased focus on ready-to-drink options, as shoppers find these convenient and affordable – perfect for upcoming festivals, or picnics in the park.
Exclusive source for insights
Eighty-six per cent of business owners use at least six digital platforms to run their businesses [Teneo]. So, enhancing the support available for independent retailers by providing valuable sales insights, ranging advice and assets on one platform is important.
It was this that led to the launch of Diageo One. The website is a dedicated trade-facing platform designed to better serve convenience operators while acting as a trusted category advisor to help retailers grow their businesses through helping drive footfall and increase sales.
The benefits of Diageo One include:
– The ability to stay ahead with exclusive insights and updates: Retailers registered with Diageo One can enable push notifications to receive first access to the latest product launches, news and marketing campaigns directly from each individual brand.
– Access to expert category guidance: Retailers can build confidence with industry-leading insights and news. Diageo One provides expert training and resources to help enhance their knowledge and skills.
– Marketing support: Learn from the case studies of retailer peers on what worked for them and how this can be replicated in- store to increase sales with customers.
To access the latest news and insights from Diageo please sign up to Diageo One: https://www.diageo-one.com/s/login/SelfRegister?language=en_GB
