Buxton®, the number one ROS bottled water brand[1], celebrated its sixth year as the official hydration partner for the Virgin Money London Marathon® by transforming 12 convenience stores across London, into Buxton hydration pit stops. Nine Whistlestop stores and three Londis stores were selected as part of the activation, which saw the stores promote the importance of keeping hydrated for event supporters and spectators.
With bottled water accounting for a third of soft drinks sales[2], Buxton’s convenience channel partnership helped highlight the value this segment offers for retailers, and comes after the recent Buxton brand refresh, which hit shelves earlier this spring. The activity at the 12 stores included the installation of marathon-themed Buxton® branded free standing display units, window posters, as well as the new Buxton Box – an innovative merchandising solution containing 15 x 75cl bottles enabling retailers to create easy to merchandise secondary displays that are stackable, 100% recyclable and will drive incremental sales. The branded takeover demonstrated to retailers the importance of stocking bottled water, particularly during key sporting events, and encouraged supporters of the event to stay hydrated while on the go during the day.
Severine Hemms, Shopper Marketing Manager at Nestlé Waters® UK, said: “We are really proud to have been sponsors of the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon for another year running and to have brought this excitement to the convenience channel, with our retail partners, Whistlestop and Londis. Convenience stores like Whistlestop in busy train stations, and Londis on the high street, are key retail outlets for Buxton, as two thirds of people who purchase bottled water, do so when they are on the go.[3] It’s been great to see so much excitement and additional footfall driven to these stores, which has put hydration front of mind with local visitors.”
Ali Younas, store manager at the Londis store on Brunel Road, said: “Thanks to the support of Buxton, we have had our busiest Sunday of the year, with the activation attracting a host of new faces into our store. It’s so important to leverage big sporting events such as the Virgin Money London Marathon, and Buxton has helped put the importance of hydration front of mind for visiting spectators and add to the excitement surrounding the day.”
[1] Litmus, Plan Water, Convenience, Unit rate of sale, total water, 52w 27/01/19
[2] IRI, SIG All Scan Outlet, Total Soft Drinks, Total Water Volume Share, 52wk w/e 23 Mar 19
[3] HIM CTP 2018
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