The nation is getting excited about this summer’s UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament, running from 14 June to 14 July.
Without wishing to jinx their chances, England are actually in with a shout of success, having been made 3/1 favourites by William Hill.
Scotland are 80/1 outsiders, but that won’t stop the Tartan Army roaring on their team.
All this excitement translates into sales for wholesalers, as fans gather to watch the matches with friends and family in their homes, after stocking up on alcohol, soft drinks and snacks.
Amy Burgess, Senior Trade Communications Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), comments: “With a mega summer of sports on the horizon, including Euro 2024, there will be plenty of people gathering together to cheer on their favourite team from the seats of their sofa. For wholesalers, that means more opportunities to generate sales.
“Soft drinks often play a key part in supporters’ experiences watching sport. To tap into this opportunity, wholesalers should ensure they stock sharing packs from leading brands like Coca-Cola™, the no.1 soft drinks brand in retail (Nielsen), led by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar (growing in value and volume in convenience, Nielsen), and Fanta and Dr Pepper, the number one and number two flavoured carbonates brands in retail by value, both in value and volume growth (Nielsen).”
Schweppes is the go-to mixer for home-based mixing occasions, being the most sold mixer brand in GB (Nielsen), making it perfect for entertaining guests during the sporting season. Another excellent mixer option is Appletiser, growing in value by 6.6% in retail (Nielsen).
Alcoholic ready-to-drink cocktails (ARTDs) offer a convenient solution for those seeking a hassle-free way to serve a perfect drink every time. With no need for time-consuming mixing or preparation, more time can be spent cheering on teams. In Great Britain alone, the ARTD market is now worth more than £500m in GB and continuing to grow (Nielsen).
“Our Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola RTD is a fan favourite, generating nearly £13m worth of sales since launch (Nielsen), and is a must stock for wholesalers. We have recently updated the packaging design for Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, to clearly set it apart from the Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola Original Taste variant, helping retailers and wholesalers tap into the opportunity for zero sugar ARTDs,” adds Burgess. “We have also added to our ARTD portfolio in 2024 with Absolut Vodka & SPRITE which blends the smoothness of premium vodka, Absolut, with the loved lemon-lime soft drink, SPRITE, offering a refreshing serve whilst watching Euro 2024.”
Lauren Priestley, Head of Category Development Off Trade at Diageo GB, comments: “The beer category is a versatile one meaning it’s relevant during a whole range of occasions, making it a must-stock all-year-round and especially during big sporting moments like the Euros. When choosing which beers to stock, Guinness, the iconic stout brand, is a must-stock as it is often associated with sporting events in general. 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 retailers.”
Guinness is available in multipacks which are perfect for sharing and socialising occasions. Guinness Draught in Can is also available in 538ml ‘pint can format’ – great for adults who enjoy Guinness in the on-trade and are looking to enjoy the iconic stout at home whilst watching sporting fixtures.
“Sporting fixtures and tournaments provide opportunities for consumers to celebrate 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,” adds Priestley.
“It is worth thinking about spirits to stock, bearing in mind that the premiumisation is still a focus – with people looking to drink ‘less but better’. This presents a golden opportunity for retailers to encourage their shoppers to create celebratory serves at home. We know that people enjoy cocktails – in the on-trade the cocktail market is worth £716m (CGA) and we can expect consumers’ interest in cocktails to translate to the off-trade. Therefore, stocking a range of spirits across categories which form the base of popular serves will be beneficial.”
“When it comes to spirits, we suggest stocking a range that forms the base of many easy-to-make serves – such as G&Ts and spritz serves,” says Priestley. “Stocking a range of well-known gin and vodka options alongside their flavoured counterparts is a great way to keep ranges exciting and inspire shoppers to create mixed drinks at home. We know that over 11 million adults consume gin in the UK (Kantar), so it is not a category to be overlooked.”
When it comes to choosing which gin to stock, Gordon’s is currently worth over £300m in the off-trade (Nielsen) and is known for being at the forefront of innovation, with its portfolio of products including Gordon’s Premium Pink Distilled Gin (37.5% ABV), Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon Distilled Gin (37.5% ABV) – in fact, over a third of Gordon’s sales are driven by the flavour portfolio (Nielsen).
Vodka is currently worth more than £1.3bn across the off-trade (Nielsen). Its popularity is testament to its versatility and broad appeal, which is what makes it a staple drink of choice. As at-home hosting gains prominence, especially over key sporting events, vodka is a key player in creating both signature cocktails and classic mixed serves – its adaptability means hosts can cater to a range of guests’ drinks preferences. “Ensuring a good range of popular brands are available on shelf, provides shoppers with reassurance that they’re able to rely on the retailer for their favourite products,” continues Priestley. “Iconic brands such as Smirnoff, the number one vodka brand in GB (IWSR), has earned its status as an innovative brand, as it continues to grow its portfolio through successfully launching new and exciting SKUs, including Smirnoff Raspberry Crush (37% ABV), Smirnoff Mango & Passionfruit Twist (37.5% ABV), Smirnoff Berry Burst (37.5% ABV) and its latest expression, Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind (30% ABV). Stocking a good selection of flavoured spirits means retailers can offer shoppers different flavour profiles to inspire them to create high-quality serves that are easy to make at home.”
People are generally looking for more choice during more occasions. Consumers are becoming increasingly excited by the choices on offer and are subsequently demanding more of alcohol-free brands when they are looking for options that deliver on their growing expectations. Alcohol-free occasions have a similar profile to alcohol occasions in terms of when they are consumed (Kantar), with alcohol-free drinks sales mirroring peak seasonal calendar occasions, demonstrating the demand for alcohol-free options whilst celebrating celebratory moments.
“As a category with huge growth potential, we would recommend that retailers engage with the category, thinking carefully about which alcohol-free options they stock ahead of sporting events to tap into this trend,” suggests Priestley.
“Whether people are choosing to consume alcohol or not, we can expect them to continue seeking out premium options that taste great, so that they don’t feel they are missing out on the best experience. With this in mind, we recommend stocking high-quality alcohol-free spirits that can be used as a base for great-tasting mixed drinks. Diageo’s ‘House of Zero’ portfolio spans across popular brands including Tanqueray, Gordon’s, Captain Morgan and Guinness.”
“Stocking a few alcohol-free options from well-known brands is a great way to encourage people to explore a range – if customers see a brand they already know and trust they may be more likely to opt for their alcohol-free counterpart which provides them with taste and quality assurances.”
Steve Young, Sales Director at Asahi UK, comments: “Within chilled beer (excluding ale), 96% of sales are lager, 2% is stout, 1% is craft and 0.7% is no- and low-alcohol beer. There are three growth opportunities: the first is no- and low-alcohol beer (worth £10m and growing at 13%). The second two come from both ends of the value scale. Premium four-pack cans are worth £96m and growing at 14%, while four-pack pint cans are worth £269m.
“We expect four-pack pint cans to continue to grow in the coming months as the rising cost of living leads to more shoppers consuming beer and socialising at home, rather than in pubs and bars.”
Economy/mainstream four-packs is the second biggest segment in beer, worth £245m, but is declining at -18% as consumers trade up into premium (Nielsen).
Craft beer is worth £25m and is declining at 17% (Nielsen).
Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% 4x330ml is the top alcohol-free beer product by rate of sale in the convenience channel and presents a trade-up opportunity. The launch has added more than £4m to the category since it entered the market (Nielsen).
70% of no- and low-alcohol beer sold in convenience stores is sold in four-packs, with this format growing at 30%. Single bottle is the second biggest segment with 6% of sales, but this segment is declining at -7% (Nielsen).
Asahi Europe & International’s ambition is for 20% of its core product portfolio to offer alcohol-free products by 2030.
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).
“Consumers are looking to cut down on their alcohol intake, while drinking less but drinking better generally,” adds Young. “53% of consumers trialled new no- and low-alcohol brands in 2022 (IWSR). 43% of UK drinkers say they are looking to moderate (KAM).”
No- and low-alcohol is incremental to the category. 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 (Nielsen).
The improved taste of no-alcohol drinks is helping them evolve from drinks that are a substitute to drinks that compete comfortably in the alcohol occasion. The line between no- and low-alcohol/adult soft drinks are becoming blurred, which provides a significant frequency opportunity through new occasions, such as lunchtime.
“There is more innovation to come,” says Young. “We are beginning to see early emergence of functional/flavoured no- and low-alcohol brands, which will likely increase in future as they form a large share of the category in other European markets.”
The BBC recently reported that there had been a ‘massive shift in the way we do our grocery shopping since the pandemic’. The report claimed that among the changes, shoppers now visit the supermarket less often, spend more on own label and are turning to loyalty schemes to get discounts.
Penetration of the beer category has decreased for the past three years after a boost during 2020, however even comparing with pre covid, penetration is still -2.5% pts lower in the latest year (Kantar). This highlights the importance of innovation and activation to drive shoppers into the category.
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, softens this performance to a decline of -2.1% in value (NIQ). Shoppers’ volume per trip has also decreased in the latest year (Kantar). Note that while shoppers are overall spending more on own label, for beer this remains insignificant at less than 1% of total volume.
In the past five years, the premium quality segment has grown its volume share of beer by almost 6% points, with economy beer losing out. This trend has been experienced by both grocery and convenience channels (NIQ).
In grocery, can’s volume share of beer has risen by +4.1% pts when compared with 4 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.
Low & no beer is in growth of +28% in the past 12 weeks, which continues to be significantly ahead of total beer at +3.2%, and consequently continues in strong share growth (NIQ). In contrast to the total beer penetration loss, low & no beer continues to see shopper numbers grow, up by +12% YOY (Kantar).
Cider is worth £1bn and declined at -6% MAT (Nielsen). Apple cider is the dominant variety and has grown share – now at 63.7% (MAT 2YA vs MAT TY). Flavoured cider is worth 35.3%.
Premium and super-premium cider share is up by 2%pts vs 2 years ago (Nielsen). In comparison to beer, cider commands a slightly lower average price per litre (£2.46 vs £2.59) as it is weighed down by the prevalence of budget cider. However, premium cider carries an average price per litre of £3.37 vs £3.21 in beer, indicating there is an opportunity for retailers to premiumise their ranges.
Cornish Orchards is currently valued at £1.3m and is growing at 2%. Gold contributes 53% of its value, with Vintage showing the strongest growth.
Cornish Orchards’ average price per litre is £4 – well above the average price per litre of £2.46. It sits in the super-premium tier alongside Henry Westons and Thatchers Katy. Super-premium cider makes up 13.7% share of the category.
Matt Collins, Trading Director at KP Snacks, comments: “This summer families and friends will gather to enjoy the Euros together, creating a great opportunity for retailers to drive sales and footfall. To enhance the experience of watching matches at home, consumers will be eager to stock up on their favourite snacks.
“To capitalise on this trend and the strength of the Sharing segment, retailers should stock a range of tasty and tempting Sharing CSN products. Worth £1.7billion, Sharing is the largest segment in CSN and is growing strongly at +13% (Nielsen IQ).”
Healthier snacking is on the rise with this segment growing +14.2% (Nielsen IQ) as consumers remain health-conscious and the category adapts to HFSS legislation. popchips is rated as the number one ‘Better for You’ bagged snack brand in the sharing pack format (Nielsen IQ). Coming in at under 100 calories per serving and with a third less fat than the market leader, popchips provides a more permissible snack without compromising on big flavour.
Launched last year, popchips Hot & Spicy is available in 85g Sharing format, bringing a kick to the Healthier Snacking segment. Perfect for consumers who are looking for a tasty, healthier product to enjoy when watching the football, popchips Hot & Spicy capitalises on “Spicy” being the third fastest-growing flavour profile.
Exempt from HFSS legislation, Nuts offer a delicious treat whilst watching sports at home with friends. Worth £98.1m RSV and growing +12.6% (Nielsen IQ), the KP Nuts portfolio offers a range of sharing formats and leads the category as the UK’s number one branded nut (Nielsen IQ).
Bringing big, bold flavours to evening sharing, the largest occasion within both nuts and sharing (Kantar), KP’s Flavour Kravers range was recently expanded with the launch of two new coated variants: Crunchy Coated Aromatic Thai Chilli and 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.
Popcorn is an ideal partner to the excitement and entertainment of the Euros. With a 35.9% market share of the popcorn segment, Butterkist is the nation’s favourite popcorn (Nielsen IQ).
For shoppers looking for sweeter snacking moments, Butterkist Crunchy Hazelnut Chocolate flavour toffee popcorn is the perfect product to add fun and indulgence to any summer sporting occasion. The innovative flavour bridges the gap between popcorn and chocolate confectionery to create a sweet and irresistible snack.
We know there is a high demand for premium lines as consumers look to make in-home occasions feel more special, with 46% of shoppers more inclined to trade up to premium food and drink options when dining at home (Kantar). Tyrrells 150g Sharing bags are key products to capitalise on, offering classic and tasty flavours. Full of personality, the Tyrrells brand has taste and quality at the heart of its offering and delivers the perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine or cider.
Mike Chapman, Head of Wholesale at PepsiCo, comments: “Events such as the UEFA Euro 2024 provide a significant opportunity for wholesalers to grow their savoury snacking sales, as retailers stock up on shopper favourites that they’ll be purchasing to enjoy as they watch the tournament. With the total Salty Snacks category in independent and symbol stores now worth £631.6m and growing at +18.0% (NielsenIQ), there is evidence to show that snacking remains a huge part of day-to-day UK life. This is amplified during big events, presenting an opportunity for wholesalers to boost their sales through increased demand.”
Additionally, Crisps, Snacks and Nuts account for 94.1% value sales of Total Savoury Snacks (NielsenIQ).
“As a result, Wholesalers should ensure they have an extensive savoury snack offering that is varied in flavour and format, encouraging sales from retailers who are looking to capture shopper attention and increase basket spend during the UEFA Euro tournament,” adds Chapman. “Shoppers continue to value brands they know and love within the Salty Snacks category – and we’re seeing them not only seek out familiar, much-loved brands but their favourite flavours too. It’s therefore key that retailers are stocking a strong core of best-selling products during the tournament, which will in turn benefit wholesalers as retailers continue to stock up.”
“During the tournament, we expect PMPs to be the key to category growth for wholesalers,” says Chapman. “This is because retailers will be looking to stock up on the format to appeal to shoppers who are still looking for accessible price points. Additionally, within the Savoury Snacks Category, Sharing PMPs remain the number one contributor to crisps and snacks growth in value, compared with other segments (NielsenIQ). The format reassures consumers of value and therefore allows wholesalers to help retailers offer an accessible price point that builds trust with their customers too.”
Given the strength of PMPs in delivering growth for wholesalers and the Savoury Snacks Category over the last year, PepsiCo has continued to invest in the PMP format through NPD and line extensions across the nation’s most loved crisp brands. Launches like Walkers Prawn Cocktail PMP – the third bestselling Walkers single flavour (NielsenIQ) – or Wotsits Giants PMPs continue to be popular with shoppers, as they look for their favourite flavours. Additionally, within the Independent and Symbols channel in particular, the top 15 Sharing PMP Snack SKUs include Doritos, Quavers, Cheetos, Wotsits and Monster Munch, which demonstrates just how important these SKUs are for retailers (NielsenIQ). PepsiCo’s best-selling snacking brands are all available in the sharing PMP format.
“Enjoyment is the number one driver of choice when buying crisps and snacks (Kantar), so we recommend wholesalers offer well-loved core brands such as Quavers, Wotsits and Monster Munch during events such as the UEFA Euro2024,” adds Chapman. “These brands continue to drive sales in the channel and work alongside a wide range of taste-led NPD, helping to maximise sales during the tournament.”
Mohammed Essa, Commercial Director, Aviko UK & Ireland, comments: “The upcoming football tournament provides an opportunity for wholesalers to evaluate their offerings and ensure they’re stocking products that meet menu needs and help boost profits. With chips remaining a must-have dish for sporting events, it’s crucial to get your classics right. Aviko’s SuperCrunch range opens the door to possibility – with a crisp coating that locks in flavour and crunch, the fries can be enjoyed on their own or with a dip.”
Loaded fries are making chips the main event, and the ideal sharer alongside a summer of sport. The beauty of adding toppings is that the options are endless, wholesalers can benefit from providing the perfect base for their customers’ dishes with the help of Aviko Foodservice, their SuperCrunch range, and their upcoming inspired recipe series. By trading up their fries they can create a real point of difference, as well as a higher mark-up.
Gluten-free and vegan friendly, Aviko SuperCrunch can be prepared in both an oven or fryer, ensuring versatile preparation, and with a long holding time, they’re perfect for delivery. So, whether consumers are enjoying the game at home with friends, or on the big screen at a pub, wholesalers and their customers can benefit from adding this premium listing and win big this football season.
Fairfields Farm Commercial Director, Tash Jones comments: “Merchandise the occasion; group together the key items from key brands (plus a few interesting challenger brands like ours!) and make buying a package simple for your customers, whether that’s in a physical space or by creating a themed shop for online sales. A well-chosen selection saves them thinking time and is a chance to cross promote crisps and snacks with soft drinks and beers, wines and spirits.
“Visually demonstrating the pairings is crucial. Example planograms would go a long way to demonstrate cross-category merchandising, as well as alternative options scaled by store size. These can then be supported on the sales side with bespoke ‘bundle’ deals. If time-poor retailers are able to lift and shift good looking plans, supported with appropriate displays, this can only be a benefit to them and to wholesalers.”
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