Leading cider maker Bulmers is fighting back against the premium packaged spirits and cheap premium lagers which have eroded its market. It is throwing out its 330ml bottles and introducing 275ml versions at a cheaper price. This will bring its leading brands ­ Strongbow, Woodpecker and Scrumpy Jack ­ to under £1 and make them more competitive with stubby (250ml) bottles of premium lager and premium packaged spirits. The pps sector is in rapid growth with annual volume up 50%, and it is taking shares from all the other long drinks. Its leading brands retail at more than £1 but mid-priced and own label products are well below that. Director of customer marketing Keith Wishart said: "This is an important move for the cider category and switching all the main brands to this format is an opportunity for the retailer to profitably drive the growth of cider. "Glass is a dynamic sector in take home, and for cider a 275ml bottle at the right price and the right margin for all brands across all channels is the strategy for growth." Single bottles of its brands will move from £1.09 to between 89p and 99p. The new packs go into the trade now and Bulmers will put the emphasis on four and eight multipack variants. {{DRINKS }}

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