Asian_Trader_Magazine_1326_October_2017

20 ASIAN TRADER 13 OCTOBER 2017 http://www.asiantrader.biz

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FEATURE

BIG NIGHT IN

£70.1m value sales. 

However, with the impulse

market currently under trading

in low calorie soft drinks versus

the grocery mults, and the Soft

Drinks Industry Levy on the

horizon, the take home message

for retailers is that there is a huge

gap to be filled through healthier

soft drinks in convenience.

With 29% now consuming

immediately on purchase (him!),

the on-the-go nature of shopper

lifestyles presented significant

sales opportunities for retailers

in 2016. 

This increasing consumer

appetite for immediate refresh-

ment encouraged savvy retailers

to revaluate the premium chiller

space and adapt their ranges

according to the specific needs of

their customer base.

This approach increased

wider profits, as soft drinks

shoppers were shown to spend

more, visit the store more often

and have a bigger basket size,

compared to average conveni-

ence shoppers according to him!

Trystan Farnworth, Commer-

cial Director, Convenience &

Impulse at Britvic, told Asian

Trader: “No two stores are the

same so it’s important for

retailers to shape their core

range around their store,

location and customer base.

“While there’s no magic

formula to follow, implementing

simple steps such as grouping

drinks together, streamlining

your range and stocking the

best-selling lines can pay

dividends in sales and should be a

focus for any retailer looking to

increase their soft drinks sales.

“However, segments

geared towards hydration,

such as Water or Water Plus

(flavoured waters), often peak

during summer so we’d

recommend including top-

sellers from each of these as a

minimum.

“When the sun is out,

consumers are also much more

inclined to socialise out of the

home, be they groups of friends

or families, so we’d also

recommend having a strong

range of soft drinks in the

chiller, as well as larger 2L

sharing bottles of leading

brands like Pepsi MAX to cater

for all occasions.”

Impulse buys

Amy Burgess, Trade Communi-

cations Manager at Coca-Cola

European Partners (CCEP),

commented: “For many

consumers, nights in with

friends and family are being

treated as more of an occasion

and as such, people socialising

at home is a growing opportu-

nity for independent retailers.

These nights are often planned

at the last minute, and this can

make independent outlets a

go-to stop for shoppers making

impulse buys for their evening

ahead.”

The reason for a night at

home can vary, and occasions

range from a ‘date night’ for

couples to a dinner party with

friends, or simply relaxing in

front of the TV on a Saturday

night, Burgess believes.

Whatever the occasion, it’s

likely that most consumers will

be looking for an accompanying

drink. With 21% of adults now

choosing not to consume alcohol

at all, it’s clear that soft drinks

provide a major opportunity for

independent retailers to increase

their sales when catering for

those enjoying nights at home,

Burgess adds.

“Retailers should monitor

for occasions such as popular

TV events, including reality

shows and sporting events, and

keep stocks high in order to

meet demand,” Burgess

suggests.

“Sharing formats like 1.75L

PET bottles of Coca-Cola Zero

Sugar and multipack cans of

Fanta and Sprite are popular

choices for consumers for these

occasions, so ensuring shelves

are stocked up can help inde-

pendent retailers make the most

of the opportunity.”

5 Top Tips from pladis’ Trade

Communications Controller,

Hena Chandarana

Make products impossible to miss 

1

Make products impossible to miss. Place in high footfall

areas next to complementary categories

2

tock the best-selling lines. Boost sales with the top S

selling SKUs

3

Draw shoppers to a dedicated Big Night In fixture.

Engage customers with branded SKU blocks and POS

4

Make prices easy to see. Highlight value on offer with

PMP ranges

5

Maximise impulse and events. Make promotions visible

across store to drive sales Find more information at

http://www.betterbiscuits.com

Alcohol

Jessica Markowski, Head of

Trade Marketing - BU North at

AB InBev, told Asian Trader: “The

Big Night In trend is a growing

opportunity for retailers because

of the range of shoppers getting

involved - recent research from

YouGov revealed that one in

seven Brits stay in to enjoy a

drink.

Enjoying an evening in is an

occasion relevant to a broad

range of people – from ‘after

work’ shoppers picking up

everything they need on their

way home for a relaxing night in,

to those picking up the ingredi-

ents they’ll need to host the

perfect dinner party with friends

• so there are plenty of different
  opportunities and occasions for
  retailers to tap into.”
  As well as the diverse range of
  occasions, it’s important to
  remember that a ‘Big Night In’ is
  not seasonal, and retailers can
  benefit all year-round, Markows-
  ki adds.
  When consumers opt to stay
  in rather than visiting a pub, bar
  or restaurant, retailers can offer
  shoppers an ‘end-to-end’
  experience from dinner and
  dessert, to snacks and beverages


• all of which increases basket
  size and spend.
  “A key trend for independent
  retailers to be aware of is that
  we’re seeing shopper habits
  moving away from the big
  weekly shops to smaller, more