Talking Retail Grocery and product news for independent retailers
Macro trends are influencing which products consumers choose and where they choose to buy them
Phil Sanders, out-of-home commercial director at Britvic, replies: “Soft drinks is a hugely valuable category in convenience, worth £2.3bn, but macro trends are influencing which products consumers choose and where they choose to buy them.
Throughout the pandemic, many retailers remerchandised their soft drinks ranges, shifting the focus to larger bottles and multi-packs.
While these formats will remain important parts of retailers’ offerings as many UK workers continue to work from home, our latest research shows on-the-go soft drinks are very much back in business, and there is a clear opportunity for retailers to drive sales as a result of this.
“As lockdown restrictions have eased, 61% of shoppers claim they expect to consume on-the-go soft drinks even more, showing a renewed opportunity for convenience stores across the country.
“In fact, of the 2,000 Brits who participated in our survey, just under a third (29%) are already enjoying soft drinks on-the-go once a day and more than half (58%) claim to do so at least once a week, so the demand for drink-now formats is already becoming clear.
Retailers should be signposting their offer in-store and encouraging cross-category purchases
“We know that during the pandemic soft drinks remained the number one category bought on a food-to-go mission. Our latest research reflects this, with a quarter of those surveyed saying the reason they buy soft drinks is to have them with food at lunchtime.
Retailers should be including soft drinks in their meal deal solutions, clearly signposting the offer in-store and encouraging cross-category purchases to maximise the on-the-go opportunity.
“Our advice throughout the pandemic has been for retailers to pay close attention to the needs of their shoppers and adapt their soft drinks ranges accordingly. It has never been more important to offer customers the right drinks for the right occasions.
“Our research shows nine out of 10 shoppers say flavour and taste are key considerations when choosing a soft drink for on-the-go missions, and seven out of 10 say sugar content (or lack thereof) is important.
To take full advantage of on-the-go, retailers should consider shoppers’ path to purchase
“Sugar-free carbonates are the most sought-out options, cited by 54% of shoppers, with the latest innovations from well-known brands such as Pepsi Max Lime, Tango Sugar Free Dark Berry and 7Up Free Cherry presenting a strong line-up that should form the basis of retailers’ offerings.
“To take full advantage of the on-the-go opportunity, retailers should consider shoppers’ path to purchase, and not just at the chiller. We know that a macro trend influencing consumers is the desire to seek ‘elevated experiences’, especially when it comes to seasons and events.
“Whether that be Halloween or the run-up to Christmas when people will be out and about getting their shopping sorted or on their way to parties, retailers should try to capture shoppers’ attention before they even reach the chiller.
“Using the tools already at their disposal – POS, social media channels and high-visibility placements such as checkout displays and gondola ends – will allow them to do just that, maximising impulse sales this autumn and beyond.”
