Buckfast Tonic Wine fans have launched an app designed to help shoppers track down the controversial drink.
The 99p app, Find Me Bucky, can be purchased from the iPhone App Store and Google Play for Android.
It uses a phone’s GPS to pinpoint users’ locations, finds the nearest Buckfast retailers, and displays prices. App users can update retailers’ information if they discover unlisted stockists.
“We started the process of contacting retailers to see if they sold Buckfast Tonic Wine and, if so, for how much,” said a spokesman for the app’s creator, Wreck the Hoose Juice. “In the UK & Ireland alone, we were able to gather 10,000 possible establishments. We enabled a sign-in process where users could add entries and then we would verify them. Having correct prices and address details is key.”
Buckfast has long been criticised for its links to drunken and violent behaviour. Nevertheless, sales have surged by £2m to £26.9m, winning the brand 91st place in The Grocer’s exclusive ranking of Britain’s Biggest Alcohol Brands [Nielsen MAT 22 April 2017].
This was due to distribution gains “down south” and a strong presence in the Co-op and convenience stores, as well as ongoing efforts to reposition the brand as an accompaniment to food and as a cocktail ingredient, according to Buckfast sales manager Stewart Wilson.
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