British soft drink producer Britvic is encouraging retailers and foodservice operators to prepare for a soar in consumer spending on soft drinks this Christmas.
New research conducted by Censuswide UK on behalf of the drinks company indicates that consumers will moderate their alcohol consumption over the holidays by opting for more soft drinks instead.
Reduced Consumption
The recent study is based on a sample of 2,000 adults in the UK between the 20th to the 23rd of October 2017. It found that of those consumers planning to reduce their alcohol consumption this Christmas, 39% now drink less alcohol all year round, increasing to 41% in those aged 25-34 and to 46% in those aged over 55.
Meanwhile, 45% of consumers are likely to buy more soft drinks over the holidays, while over one in five (21%) plan to drink less alcohol. For the cohort of 16 to 24-year-olds, over half (56%) intend to spend more on soft drinks than in previous years.
Britvic says that while there is clearly a seasonal sales opportunity, operators need to be prepared, as it’s also important to stock a range of soft drinks throughout the year to cater for this growing consumer interest in soft drinks.
Mixing It Up
The Britvic-Censuswide survey showed that over half of respondents (54%) that will be drinking alcohol over Christmas will opt for spirits as their drink of choice. Some 63% of said spirit drinkers use mixers, which will offer a space for soft drink producers, such as Britvic, to capitalise on that market as well.
'As interest in premium spirits continues to rise, offering the right mixer to perfectly complement and balance the flavour is now just as important as the spirit,' the company said.
Premiumisation
The numbers also reveal a growing interest in premium soft drinks to accompany the spirits, said the company. Some 21% of survey respondents didn’t think there were enough premium soft drinks to choose from. The number rises to 27% for 25 to 34-year-olds.
Russell Goldman, commercial director, licensed and foodservice at Britvic, said: “It’s clear from our research that there’s going to be a real shift towards moderate drinking this Christmas and as a result, there is likely to be a high demand for soft drinks throughout the season. Offering a range of inspiring serves and using products like Teisseire to create sensational experiences for customers, both with and without alcohol, will enable leisure operators to cater for this peak in demand over the festive period.”
While Christmas season sales look positive, Britvic recently voiced its disappointment over planned sugar taxes by the governments of the UK and Ireland for April 2018, with a similar tax introduced in Portugal in February of this year.
Britvic’s international portfolio includes brands such as 7up, Ballygowan, Gatorade and Britvic Premium Mixers.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Duggan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
