Heineken Silver and Strongbow Ultra have all but disappeared from shelves in the UK, a little over two years after launching.
The two brand extensions were launched by Heineken UK in early 2022, but poor sales have led the major multiples to delist them. Strongbow Ultra Dark Fruit was last seen in Tesco stores on 29 June, having also been delisted by Asda in May, Assosia data shows.
Heineken Silver, meanwhile, disappeared from Morrisons and Waitrose in April. It was last listed on Ocado on 1 June.
Both extensions were already in meaningful decline prior to the delistings, with Silver slumping 55.5% in value, to £4.6m, and Ultra down by 53.0% to £2.5m [NIQ 52 w/e 21 April 2024].
Heineken UK however, denied the products had been discontinued.
A spokesman for the brewer said: “We offer the broadest range of beer and cider brands in the UK, meaning that Heineken UK has an unrivalled portfolio for both breadth and choice. We are always reviewing this range to ensure we offer products that speak to the needs of our customers and consumers.”
Heineken UK said Heineken Silver was its “biggest ever” launch upon introducing the extension in March 2022. It was supported by a £20m marketing spend including a one million can sampling campaign, The Grocer reported at the time.
The 4% abv, lighter and less bitter version of the brewer’s flagship beer – which debuted in Vietnam in 2019 – was part of a push by HUK to attract more younger shoppers to the brand.
Strongbow Ultra, meanwhile, was backed to the tune of £12m across digital, TV, PoS and sampling.
The lower-calorie cider came in response to demand from Generations Y and Z for “alcoholic drinks that fit with their desire to lead more balanced lifestyles”, HUK said.
Silver’s slump was offset by gains across Heineken’s other variants last year, with sales across the total brand creeping up 0.7% to £203.7m [NIQ].
Ultra, however, contributed to Strongbow sales sliding 5.7%, to £239.9m.
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