One of the many consistent beliefs of Australia’s alcohol retailing industry is that what people see happening in the on-premise will influence their behaviour in off-premise.
The rise of small bars and premium whisky purchasing, has been in the off-premise with more premium whiskies from all over the world being available and being purchased.
It’s the same for all categories – beer, wine and spirits.
Another factor in the small bar culture has been the rise in popularity of cocktails and liqueurs, and this has been mirrored in off-premise with the cocktail at home and hosting at home occasions providing numerous opportunities for retailers.
Last year data from Roy Morgan showed that the liqueurs category, including cocktails, has seen strong growth in the last two years years with an additional 328,000 Australians now partaking in a liqueur or cocktail in an average four week period.
So this is a positive trend that retailers are seeing and are taking advantage of.
Additionally in the wine category rosé and prosecco are enjoying huge growth in both the on- and off-premise. The rosénado really began to form in on-premise with patrons seeing glasses of light pink rosé in venues on hot summer days and making the decision to buy: again decisions that have gone on to influence their off-premise behaviour.
The rise of craft is another trend everyone across the industry would have noticed, and the ability to trial in on-premise has undoubtedly given consumers the confidence to make those larger purchases in off-premise.
This on-to-off pattern can also be seen with brands as well as overall categories and retailers who are aware of these trends, understand them and position themselves to make the most of them will definitely be at a revenue advantage.
This is about making merchandising work for you, and understanding that merchandising can be about much more than good POS and clear stickers: it can be about what products you put together in-store to encourage purchasing habits.
Thinking about popular drinks and giving consumers those cues in your store can really help. For instance, with Australian spirits proving popular putting a Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic next to your Adelaide Hills Distillery 78 Degrees Gin, or a Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water next to the Starward Two Fold Whisky and offering consumers an on-premise serve they recognise will help.
Another brand that offers huge potential for retailers to offer an on-premise occasion in-store is FIREBALL and the mini 6pack which has recently launched in Australia.
Currently 50 per cent of FIREBALL shots are bought with beer in bars and by offering the 6pack in your fridge, icy cold, alongside beers or RTDs, means retailers will have the opportunity to grab another on-premise trend and make it their own.
SouthTrade International’s Sales Director, Damian Kaehler explains: “We know most FIREBALL shots are bought with beer, with our in-house research showing well over half of FIREBALL was purchased that way. Therefore, our 6pack allows retailers to drive incremental revenue rather than consumers swapping between another product.”
FIREBALL is the number one brand for shots in the USA and the FIREBALL team are confident of replicating this success in Australia with unique launches like these small format serves.
Prew adds, “With the growth in high ABV RTD’s, we thought we’d step it up one notch further. FIREBALL is already smoking hot down under and we are pumped that this innovation will help us take the brand to the next level.”
So combining the power of the FIREBALL brand, with the huge market for on-premise trends in off-premise presents retailers with an incredible opportunity. To find out more contact your local SouthTrade International representative – www.southtradeint.com.au.