This Summer of Sport, discover how you can maximise sales opportunities in the beer and cider category, with top tips from Heineken UK.
Sport is a huge driver for beer and cider sales, and convenience retailers are in a prime position this year to take advantage of a massive summer of sport.
During sporting moments, sales of beer and cider rise consistently. Based on the past two summer tournament periods, sales of beer and cider increased by 18% on average versus non-tournament years in the same time frame – representing a huge £118m opportunity [Nielsen]. With this in mind, it’s important for retailers to take advantage of sport-themed lines, and employ best ranging and merchandising practices to help drive consumers to the fixture during prime sporting seasons.
During major international sporting events, retailers can further amplify their beer range by offering larger multipacks of beer, in anticipation of people hosting gatherings at home, alongside single packs sited in the fridge for those wanting to grab something convenient to enjoy on the go.
Placing multipacks of beer on the shop floor in clear sight of shoppers, and signalling products with PoS materials (e.g. shelf banners and posters) can draw customers into the fixture, letting them know they can rely on you to offer an interesting range of beers ready for the sporting season.
How Heineken can help
As Heineken is the official beer sponsor of the UEFA Champions League (UCL), UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL), Investec Champions Cup and Formula 1 Qatar Airways British Grand Prix, the brand has a number of activities lined up to help independent retailers maximise sales during the summer of sport.
To catch the eyes of sports fans across the UK, Heineken has launched limited-edition UEFA sport packaging across all Heineken Original pack variants. What’s more, the brand has also rolled out limited-edition F1 packaging on all Heineken 0.0 packs – primed for the Formula 1 Qatar Airways British Grand Prix.
The brand is supporting independent retailers with PoS materials designed to draw consumers to the fixture, while offering four exclusive glasses for customers to: UCL, UWCL, F1, and Investec Champions Cup.
To promote the limited-edition packaging and glassware, retailers should focus on ranging the items in prime spots in-store, and consider cross-merchandising with other categories, like crisps, snacks and nuts, where appropriate. This will help create in-store theatre with standout appeal that is on-trend and relevant to sport fans.
Join the loyalty scheme
To grow your beer sales during the sporting season, sign up to Heineken UK’s free Star Retailer programme to access PoS materials and tailored planograms. The Star Retailer scheme is an acclaimed, industry-acknowledged loyalty scheme providing beer and cider category guidance for convenience stores. This award-winning scheme boasts over 13 years of retailer support, having collaborated with 18,000+ stores, elevating the category and fostering growth. Backed by a £10m+ investment from Heineken UK, the Star Retailer Scheme is dedicated to the success of your store, and retailers nationwide.
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For more information on Heineken UK, go to https://www.heineken.co.uk/
