Focus On Alcoholic Drinks: 26 November

Publishing: 26 November 2022
Advertising deadline: 11 November 2022
Submissions deadline: 4 November 2022

Feature one: Retailer strategy
By Jimmy Nicholls jimmy.nicholls@thegrocer.co.uk 

The end of pandemic restrictions saw sales return to the on-trade. Yet this winter’s economic troubles could push shoppers back to the supermarkets for their booze – and already, the discounters are growing their sales ahead of the market. So how are retailers looking to draw in customers? Who is making the most gains? And what are the big players doing in terms of ranging and pricing?

Discounters: Aldi and Lidl have grown the value of their alcohol ranges substantially in the past year. How are they preparing for the next one?

Online channels: Ocado grew the value of its alcohol range impressively over the last year. What explains this success, and can it continue?

Ranging and pricing: Which retailers are growing their ranges? Who is cutting back? And what pricing strategies are they adopting as the cost of living crisis hits home?

Innovations: We will profile 4 new products or ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each

Feature two: RTDs
By Emma Eversham emmaeversham@gmail.com 

They said that ready to drink (RTD) formats were the next big thing in British booze. And it looks like they are being proved right. While most other alcoholic drink sales have moved back to pubs, bars and restaurants, RTDs keep adding value and have maintained their volumes. It’s an impressive success story, but how can it be built on further? What flavour trends and innovation will keep growing the category? And how is it affecting its counterparts in conventional cocktails and spirits?

Top brands: There’s been a great divergence of fortunes among the top brands in RTDs, with some lines experiencing great growth as others slip into decline. What’s determining who wins and who loses?

Challengers: As an evolving and varied category, RTDs hold a lot of potential for new flavours and innovation. What is exciting shoppers, and where will the category go next?

Hard seltzers: Having made it big in the US, suppliers have been hoping that hard seltzers will prove equally popular in the UK. What’s progress like?

Category blurring: With cider and energy brands coming forward with remarkably RTD-esque products, how will the competition affect more conventional lines?

Innovations: We will profile 4 new products or ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each

Feature three: Celebrity brands
By Anna-Marie Julyan annamariejulyan@gmail.com 

Where might you find The Pogues, David Beckham and The Rock in a grocery store? The answer to this pub quiz teaser is the booze aisle – all three having backed spirits brands. Indeed, such is the rate at which A-listers are launching alcohol ranges one might think it a requirement for some exclusive membership club, whether it be gin, whisky, tequila or even wine. So how is this plethora of celebrity booze launches faring? What strategies mark out those that succeed from those that don’t? And what are the prospects for growth during the cost of living crisis?

Marketing: Given the centrality of celebrity endorsement for these brands, what kind of marketing approaches are being used?

Types: Which spirits are benefitting the most from celebrity endorsement, and why?

Pricing: With budgets tightening this year, what pricing strategies are these celebrity brands operating under? Are they occupying premium ranges, or aiming for something cheaper?

Wine: Benchmark Drinks has become a dominant force in celebrity wines, featuring the likes of Kylie Minogue, Gary Barlow and Graham Norton. Can anything stop its relentless rise?

Innovations: We will profile 4 new products or ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each