Waitrose has launched co-merchandised in partnership with Heineken and Coca-Cola, as it looks to make the most of World Cup-driven demand for beer and soft drinks.
The branded gondola ends feature Heineken brands including Heineken, Birra Moretti, Beavertown, Foster’s and Moretti, alongside Coca-Cola and Diet Coke. They are accompanied by the strapline “Make Your Matchday Lineup”.
The bays were a response to “how our customers actually shop for major tournaments like the World Cup,” Waitrose beer buyer Jourdan Gabbini told The Grocer.
“When people are planning a matchday gathering, they aren’t just buying for one person, they are hosting groups with incredibly diverse drinking preferences,” he said. “They want a seamless, one-stop shop where they can grab a world lager or cider alongside a crowd-pleasing soft drink.
“Bringing Heineken and Coca-Cola together on one fixture has been a real sweet spot for us. Coca-Cola is an iconic World Cup sponsor, and paired with a powerhouse brand like Heineken, it creates a winning, highly visible combination. Especially with the current summer weather, this layout hits the perfect note for hosts looking to effortlessly stock up on everyone’s favourite matchday drinks in one quick go.”
Cross-category shopping
While the co-branded bays are limited to 63 stores, Waitrose was also “mirroring this activity at the front of our stores with larger multi-packs and a wider pool of suppliers”, Gabbini said.
It has also introduced dedicated a World Cup bay in its seasonal aisles, bringing together beers, soft drinks, and crisps “to create the ultimate one-stop matchday shop”.
The move comes amid a broader shift in how retailers are thinking about, ranging and merchandising drinks in store.
Tesco, for example, recently followed the lead of Waitrose and Sainsbury’s in combining BWS and soft drinks buying teams into a single unit, reflecting increased category blurring.
“We know there is a massive opportunity for cross-category shopping overall, and it simply makes the shopping experience more relevant and seamless if customers can pick up their entire hosting selection at once,” said Gabbini. “This is definitely a direction we want to pursue further.”
Beer range review
Alongside the new bays, Waitrose has also launched seven news beers in stores, as well as refreshing the lineup of its exclusive Beer 52 Hop Hunter mixed pack.
The new brews include Sam Adams Lager (rsp: £12/6x355ml), and Deschutes Freshly Squeezed (rsp: £3.25/355ml), both of which are imported from the US and exclusive to the retailer.
“America is truly the home of craft beer, yet it remains massively underrepresented in the UK market,” said Gabbini.
Also landing in stores on Monday are: Chouffe Framboise (£2.70/330ml), Signature x Wildfarmed x Groove Armada Do It Right Lager (rsp: £3.50/440ml), Full Circle x Oddballs Hippy Jungle (rsp: £7.50/4x330ml), Vocation Hop Sundae (rsp: £4/440ml) and Fierce Iron Brew (rsp: £3/440ml).
Fierce Iron Brew is only available in stores in Scotland.
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