Tesco has taken the axe to a raft of craft beers in its latest BWS review, ditching many SKUs from smaller suppliers in favour of craft offers from major brewers.
The retailer has pulled more than 90 lines from its booze shelves in recent weeks, binning the likes of Flying Dog Brewery, which has been ditched completely. Harviestoun and Stone Brewing have had their SKU counts slashed, and craft beer pioneer Meantime has had its London Pale, Yakima Red and London Lager delisted, leaving only its gluten-free pale ale on shelf [Brand View w/e 19 September 2018].
In their place, Tesco has brought in about 75 beers, many of which are craft offers from big brands such as Heineken-owned Lagunitas, Australian brewing giant Lion’s Fourpure, and AB InBev’s Goose Island.
However, Tesco’s beer overhaul hasn’t been all bad news for independents. Vocation and Thornbridge have picked up listings, and so have London-based Crate and Hop Stuff breweries.
Tesco’s wine aisles have been refreshed along similar lines. Losers include Accolade Wines, which has seen lines slashed from its Echo Falls, Kumala and Flagstone brands, while the likes of I Heart, Wolf Blass and Yellow Tail have gained space.
Spirits saw the fewest changes in Tesco’s BWS makeover, with the supermarket dropping tipples such as Johnnie Walker Gold and Knob Creek 9yo to make room for liqueurs, gins and whiskies from Jawbox, Suntory and Jameson, among others.
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