As the new year gets underway, sports fans will be eagerly anticipating the Six Nations Championship kicking off in February.
Rugby fans will be keen to enjoy the big games with friends and family, making watching matches at home a social event and a key opportunity for retailers to capitalise on.
To bring extra fun and flavour to the Six Nations Championship, rugby fans will seek out tasty snacks to enjoy with family and friends during matches.
To maximise on this opportunity, wholesalers should offer themed fixtures and promotions, while prioritising sharing crisps, snacks & nuts (CSN) products.
Worth £1.67 billion, Sharing is the largest segment in CSN and is growing strongly at +13.6% (Nielsen IQ).
“At KP Snacks, we are catering to the growth of sharing occasions with a diverse portfolio of tasty snacks that generate demand and drive sales,” comments Matt Collins, Trading Director at KP Snacks. “Our exciting sharing range has something for everyone, from popcorn to nuts to pretzels and of course crisps.”
Nuts offer a delicious snack while watching matches at home and KP Nuts leads the category as the number one Nut brand. Perfect when paired with a cold drink, KP Nuts recently celebrated its 70th anniversary and is growing +15.8% (Nielsen IQ).
KP Nuts’ sharing portfolio features both classic favourites including its Original Salted, Honey Roast and Dry Roasted Peanuts as well as bold and tempting flavours from the KP Flavour Kravers range. KP’s Flavour Kravers range was recently expanded with the launch of two new coated variants: KP Flavour Kravers Crunchy Coated Aromatic Thai Chilli and KP Flavour Kravers Crunchy Coated Katsu Curry. Designed to tempt new shoppers to the Nuts segment, the new KP Flavour Kravers products deliver innovative flavours and a satisfyingly crunchy and crispy texture.
Premium snack brand Tyrrells pair exquisitely with a variety of wines and ciders to make getting together to watch the Six Nations with friends and family feel like a special occasion. Tyrrells crisps are growing +17.7% in the Sharing segment (Nielsen IQ) and the Premium CSN segment is growing +8.6% (Nielsen IQ), making Tyrrells 150g Sharing bags key products to stock as consumers look to trade up to premium snacks.
Popcorn is an ideal partner to the excitement and entertainment of the Six Nations matches. With a 35.9% market share of the popcorn segment, Butterkist is the nation’s favourite popcorn (Nielsen IQ).
Last year, Butterkist launched a Crunchy Hazelnut Chocolate flavour toffee popcorn variant, delivering a sweet snacking experience that capitalises on the growing trend of hazelnut flavours in confectionery.
Kevin Fawell, Off-Trade Sales Director at Molson Coors Beverage Company, comments: “Having a strong beer and cider range that offers something for everyone will be key during the tournament. Ales are popular among rugby fans so wholesalers should make sure they’re well stocked with options like Sharp’s Doom Bar, the number one amber ale in the UK (IRI), ahead of big fixtures. Last year we launched ten-can fridge packs of Doom Bar, which are perfect for groups gathering to watch the games together.”
Carling, the number one lager brand in Great Britain (IRI and CGA), has been synonymous with sport for years, which means it will be in high demand during big games.
“Wholesalers should make sure they are well prepared to meet hikes in demand at peak times,” adds Fawell. “Alongside core lager, wholesalers should also make sure they are stocked up to cater to the ongoing trends towards world lager, catering to those looking for something more premium to enjoy while watching the rugby.”
To tap into this wider trend, Molson Coors teamed up with La Sagra Brewery near Madrid to create Madrí Excepcional, a crisp, clean and refreshing lager that captures “El alma de Madrid” or “The Soul of Madrid”, which rolled out in the off-trade in 2023.
Madrí Excepcional delivered the highest value sales of any alcohol brand in its first year following launch since CGA On Premise records began. This momentum continued in the off-trade and it has already delivered £32m value sales in retail in the UK (IRI).
Continental-style pilsners such as Staropramen are becoming increasingly popular too, providing a more crisp and hoppy flavour than the styles we traditionally drink in the UK, so will also be a popular choice for those watching the football at home.
There will still be plenty of consumers looking to moderate their drinking, and low-and-no beers and ciders can offer something to enjoy during big games. Molson Coors’ low-and-no range offers something for everyone, with lager (Cobra Zero), cider (Rekorderlig Alcohol Free) and ale (Doom Bar Zero).
“Multipacks should be at the heart of your range ahead of any big sporting event as people gather to watch games together,” says Fawell.
Molson Coors expanded its offering of multipacks across more of its most popular lines, including six-can packs of Staropramen, ten-can fridge packs of Madri and Sharp’s Doom Bar as well as the recently released new four-can packs of Sharp’s Atlantic Pale Ale, to help retailers cater to this demand. All of these packs are encased in a recyclable cardboard sleeve, making them entirely plastic free.
Steve Young, Sales Director at Asahi UK, comments: “Wholesalers should make sure they promote brands that have a strong link with rugby. Asahi Super Dry was recently worldwide partner and official beer of the Rugby World Cup. The activity resulted in the brand becoming one of the fastest-growing beer brands in the market (up by +44%) in the 12 weeks to 21.10.23, Nielsen IQ).
Premium lager has consistently seen the strongest growth within beer this year. The segment now makes up 32.7% of sales as Mainstream and Economy lager declines (Nielsen IQ). Shoppers are buying less but spending more. Total beer volume sales are in annual decline of -6.5% in the off-trade, however an increase of +4.7% in price per litre, through premiumisation trends and inflation, soften this performance to a decline of -2.1% in value (NIQ).
The no-alcohol beer market is growing rapidly, with the expected global CAGR of 8% in the next five years. In some markets, no-alcohol beer has reached 5% of total beer value (IWSR).
In the 12 weeks to 21.10.23, low & no beer grew at +29% to further grow share of total beer. Stout is the fastest growing type. Mid packs won share as low & no beer becomes firmly established into drinkers’ repertoires.
“No- and low-alcohol tends to be an additional purchase in the beer category rather than a substitution, so with the right beer range available, no- and low-alcohol products should bring additional sales for wholesalers,” adds Young.
Elsewhere, the can format is gaining share. In grocery, can’s volume share of beer has risen by +4.1% pts when compared with four years ago (NIQ). More recently, we have seen the can segment premiumise, with the premium quality segment increasing its share of can by +2.9% pts vs 2YA2, driven by new launches such as Peroni Nastro Azzurro 4x440ml.
Lauren Priestley – Head of Category Development Off Trade at Diageo GB, comments: “There is a fantastic opportunity to leverage sporting events and inspire retailers to stock high-quality drinks, across several categories, which lend themselves to sporting and socialising moments.
“The beer category is a versatile one meaning its relevant during a whole range of occasions, making it a must-stock all-year-round and especially during big sporting moments like the Six Nations rugby tournament. When choosing which stouts to stock, Guinness, the iconic stout brand, provides ample opportunities for wholesalers.”
Not only is Guinness associated with sporting events in general, it has sponsored the Six Nations tournament since 2019.
“As the no.1 stout brand in GB (Nielsen and CGA) with a rich 264-year history, wholesalers that prioritise their Guinness stock will be able to tap into not only a popular and trusted brand but also a brand that offers a range of formats to suit a range of retailer customers,” adds Priestley.
Guinness is also available in multipacks, aimed at a sharing occasion and caters perfectly to retailers that may have more space in store.
“It is important to have a drinks range that is inclusive,” adds Priestley. “Research has shown that people are continuing to look for more drinks options during social occasions. People are looking to moderate their alcohol more and more with two-fifths (40%) of adults saying they want to moderate their drinking (Kantar). With this in mind, we highly recommend stocking a few high-quality alcohol-free options. Guinness 0.0, for example offers Guinness with everything, except the alcohol which enables people to continue enjoying the famous stout in a variety of ways. Guinness 0.0 is perfect for Guinness fans who are planning to watch the Six Nations tournament, who want to experience Guinness, just without the alcohol.”
People are looking for more choice during more occasions and will be on the lookout for options that replicate the great taste of their favourite alcoholic drinks. There has been a raft of innovation in the alcohol-free space, which is great to see. Innovation from Diageo includes: Gordon’s 0.0% which is the top selling non-alcoholic spirit in the off-trade (Nielsen), Gordon’s Premium Pink 0.0%, Tanqueray 0.0%. and Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0.0%.
“The Six Nations tournament lasts for several weeks and we can anticipate that people will watch some of the tournament at home, therefore it’s important to explore a range of products which tap into socialising and celebratory moments,” says Priestley. “Premiumisation with the ‘less but better’ mentality continues to grow within consumer habits. This presents a golden opportunity to inspire retailers to consider how they might encourage consumers to create celebratory serves at home. We know that people enjoy cocktails – in the on-trade the cocktail market is worth £686m (CGA). Wholesalers can benefit from this trend by stocking a range of spirits across categories which lend themselves to these occasions and serves – potentially even grouping them together to replicate an in-store inspirational fixture. White spirits such as gin and vodka form the base of many easy-to-make serves – including G&Ts and spritz serves. The key here will be to ensure there is variety in a white spirits range. For example, stocking a well-known gin or vodka alongside its flavoured counterparts is a great way to help retailers keep their ranges exciting and inspire their shoppers to create mixed drinks at home.”
Over 11 million consumers enjoy gin in the UK – and with 31% of UK alcohol drinkers choosing gin (Kantar), it is not a category to be overlooked. So, stocking well-known gin brands will help wholesalers tap into this opportunity. Diageo suggests leveraging the brand recognition of Gordon’s Special Dry London Gin to encourage people to try other options in the Gordon’s range, for example, Gordon’s Premium Pink Distilled Gin (37.5% ABV), Gordon’s White Peach Distilled Gin (37.5% ABV), Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon Distilled Gin (37.5% ABV) and the more recently launched Gordon’s Tropical Passionfruit Distilled Gin (37.5% ABV).
Similarly, stocking a range of vodka across different price points will help appeal to a wide range of people. Smirnoff for example, is the number one selling spirit in GB (CGA). Known for standing out from the crowd and its ambition to evolve its portfolio – the brand has a whole range of flavoured vodkas within its portfolio for wholesalers to capitalise on, including Smirnoff Raspberry Crush (37% ABV), Smirnoff Mango & Passionfruit Twist (37.5% ABV), and Smirnoff Berry Burst (37.5% ABV) – all of which tap into trending flavour profiles.
With the Six Nations tournament taking place in February, it is worthwhile considering which spirits are synonymous with the colder months of the year. Whilst spirits of all categories can be enjoyed all-year round, there are certain spirits that are undoubtedly synonymous with certain times of the year. For example, dark spirits such as rum-based spirits can be served as part of hot toddy serves, making them perfect for winter. Captain Morgan, for example, is the number one rum-based spirit brand in GB (CGA/Nielsen) and the portfolio is home to a variety of flavours including Captain Morgan Sliced Apple (25% ABV), as well as most recently launched Captain Morgan Black Spiced (40% ABV) which is a full-bodied rum-based spirit featuring notes of vanilla, black cherry, and caramel.
“We would also suggest stocking a few whisky options,” continues Priestley. “The variety within the category means the liquid appeals to a range of different taste preferences and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways including neat, on the rocks or in mixed drinks such as cocktails and highball serves. When it comes to choosing which brands to stock, including well-known brands is worthwhile. Johnnie Walker ‘Black Label’ and ‘Red Label’, for example are recognised brands and tap into different taste preferences and budgets. In fact, Johnnie Walker is the third most gifted whisky brand in GB, making it a must-stock (MMR).
Amy Burgess, Senior Trade Communications Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), comments: “There is a busy sporting schedule to look forward in the first half of 2024, including the return of the Six Nations Rugby throughout February and the first half of March. We expect friends and family to gather to watch matches at home, which means there is a big opportunity for retailers to score more sales.
“To accompany this hugely popular sporting event, retailers should focus on stocking sharing packs from leading brands like Coca-Cola™, led by Coca-Coca Zero Sugar (the fastest-growing major cola brand in retail, Nielsen) and Fanta and Dr Pepper, the number one and number two flavoured carbonates brands in retail by value (Nielsen). Don’t forget Schweppes, whose mixers are sold more in retail than any other mixer brand (Nielsen).”
Retailers can create sports-themed displays to build excitement in-store in the run up to these events. Cross-merchandising sharing packs of soft drinks with complementary categories like snacks so customers can pick up everything they need for a night in watching sport can help drive more incremental sales.
In the run-up to matches many shoppers may be looking to cheer on their team at home, surrounded by friends and family, with a mixed drink.
“To make the most of this opportunity, retailers should stock up on Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola RTD in GB, made with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Coca-Cola, and inspired by the classic branded ‘bar call’ serve, JD & Coke, which is enjoyed around the world,” adds Burgess. We also launched a Coca-Cola Zero Sugar version in GB.”
Since launch, Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola ARTD has established itself as the largest ready-to-drink alcohol variant by value, generating nearly £13m worth of sales (Nielsen). And in the last three months the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar variant has generated around 20% of the brand’s sales (Nielsen), something CCEP expects to increase as the brand continues to grow distribution.
“We recommend that retailers stock ARTDs in chillers where possible,” says Burgess. “We also recommend that ARTDs are stocked alongside other alcohol categories like beer, and that brands and similar variants are grouped together where possible to make consumers’ shopping experiences easier.”
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