Focus On Beer & Cider: 30 March

By James Beeson: james.beeson@thegrocer.co.uk 

Publishing: 30 March 2024

Advertising deadline: 15 March 2024

Submissions deadline: 9 March 2024

Print, digital and sponsorship opportunities

Duty changes in mid-2023 introduced a lower tax rate for beers and ciders, incentivising more products below or up to 3.4% alcohol. Six months later, how has the beer and cider landscape changed? Are brewers reformulating old products – which of them are leading the charge? Plus, how could consumer habits change if lower percent beer and cider floods the market?

Value and NPD: How much are beer brands saving thanks to the duty? Could they lead to more NPD, as they did in 2012, when similar duty savings kicked in for 2.8% booze? Who is innovating and what are they doing?

Promotions: Research suggests that bargain hunting may become a bigger factor amongst Britain’s booze-buying public, with 46% of drinkers surveyed by Ipsos in 2023 saying they’d likely wait until their favourite tipples were on promotion before buying. Are promotions even more important for brands now? How does the duty affect formats and pricing? Could they lead to a “two-tiered” system, with cheaper, weaker 3.4% brews, vs stronger, more premium offerings?

Authenticity: With continental and world beers in high demand, does it matter if Spanish or Belgian beers are actually made and bottled in the UK? If they reformulate for the British market, will consumers mind – or even know – they’re not getting the same experience? At which point are shoppers willing to part with authenticity?

Cider: How will duty changes impact fruit cider, a category where nearly all products are 4% alcohol? Could new legislation spur innovation in cider, particularly now as fruit ciders could benefit from substantial duty savings through reformulation? Are any flavours on the rise?

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