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Taking place on the first Friday in August since 2008, International Beer Day is billed as a global celebration. But does it result in increased categorty sales for your business?

According to data from PayPoint’s network of 28,000 convenience stores, International Beer Day saw an increase in sales for some of the UK’s most popular beer brands, with many including the likes of Holsten Pils (+39%) and Heineken NRB (+31%) seeing double digit sales growth versus the Friday prior.

The top five include:

1. Holsten Pils Lager (+39%)

2. Kestrel Super (+36%)

3. Heineken NRB (+31%)

4. Corona Extra (+23%)

5. Stella Artois (+23%)

Where did beer sales grow?

International Beer Day, combined with a heatwave, saw some areas of the country grow category sales more than others. Data from PayPoint also revealed the thirstiest areas of the UK that saw a surge in sales of beer:

1. Dorset (+46%)

2. London (+40%)

3. Fife (+21%)

4. Aberdeenshire (+17%)

5. Clwyd (+16%)

Commenting on the category sales growth, Anthony Sappor, head of retail partnerships at PayPoint, said: “The warm weather, coupled with a day that brings joy to many, was a great reason to say cheers and mark International Beer. PayPoint stores, which are open early until late, seven days week, always do an excellent job at catering to the needs and wants of their local communities. It’s clear that last Friday the fridges were well stocked and they didn’t disappoint those in the market for a cold beer as they headed into the weekend.”