"The devil takes the hindmost in this market," he says. "Products go out the door fast if they don't perform. We have limitations on space and there is a queue of products waiting to come in. There are new drinks I would like to have on the shelves but I just don't have the space." Not only do new concepts claim his attention but the brands already there are increasing their domination while the top six grab more space with their additional variants. Payne says: "The tax hike retarded growth but did not put the brakes on. The price increases have now filtered through into most retailers with Asda the last to put them up. If we had promotions in the sector we kept them going." The increases across the trade are around 20p for single bottles, 80p on four packs and £1.30 on eight packs. But Payne says: "It is such a dynamic market with exponential growth it is difficult to see sales being retarded for any length of time." He predicts 49% growth in pps volumes this year and next. "If it follows the US experience it will plateau, but it continues to be dynamic, new brands and flavours continue to refresh the market and this certainly isn't the case elsewhere. "The last time I saw a new beer was when Scottish Courage brought out SPA, before that it was Carlsberg Ice four years ago." Cider is beginning to benefit from the work Bulmers is putting behind Strongbow. "An indication of the way they see the future is the amount of cash they are putting behind their new entry into the sector, Bambao. "I am not sure consumers will understand what its cachaca spirit base is and it will probably end up being called Bimbo." Safeway is about to take on Bacardi-Martini's newest product development Spirito. Payne says: "It has the chance to be successful, it will depend on how much Bacardi-Martini gets behind it. Their other pps brands, V2, Metz and Rigo have fallen by the wayside." Other new brands demanding space include Gordon's Edge from Diageo and Boru Black from Interbrew. Payne says: "I think Boru Black is a great tasting product but it is not having a great deal spent on it (£2m)." Safeway makes opportunities for smaller players and regional products, including Wee Beestie in Scotland, McCall's in Northern Ireland, Hayz Dayz in Wales. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}