Focus On Beer and Cider: 22 June

 

Focus On Beer and cider by Daniel Woolfson

Publishing: 22 June

Advertising deadline: 7 June

Submissions deadline: 6 June

Download the feature synopsis here

 

Part 1: Craft

Something strange is happening in the world of craft beer. There are more cans from hyped breweries than ever on the shelves of Britain’s supermarkets, but the last three months alone have seen a swathe of much-loved craft beer businesses fail.

Still, craft acquisitions continue to make the headlines but is a thinning of the herd now underway? Now craft has been well and truly mainstream for some years, are we finally seeing the knock-on effect of the mass commodification of what was once a tiny segment of the market? And now craft has its own big names, how are they faring against each other on supermarket shelves?

Main themes

Big brands: To what extent are they dominating the scene? How are they pressing home their advantage?

Small brands: How are smaller craft brands grabbing attention? Who is succeeding? Who is struggling?

Retailers: Who is growing their craft section? Who is cutting back? And how will that influence the future of the craft industry?

Innovations: NPD showcasing some of the new, more experimental beers and ciders making their way into the UK’s specialist booze sections

Enter the tap house: For independent brewers and craft’s big boys alike, share of space isn’t enough. A throng of tap rooms, tap houses, brewpubs and outlets that blur the lines between retail, hospitality and manufacturing are popping up across the UK. This box will shine a light on some of the brewers creating their own ‘third spaces’ as homes for their brands.

 

Part 2: Beer and Cider’s New Boundaries

Craft beer isn’t the whole story. As shoppers tastes broaden, so does the range of products available to them. From weird and wonderful cider flavours to upmarket Mediterranean lagers to the unstoppable rise of low and no alcohol drinks, this feature will examine the wider trends shaping the beer & cider aisles, how brands are capitalising on these trends with NPD and marketing, and how retailers are upping their game as competition steepens.

World beer: Mediterranean lagers (or at least Mediterranean brands) are absolutely dominating. Why is this? What economic and consumer trends are playing into their hands? What are they getting right with their marketing? And who are they stealing share from?

Lager: posh lager may be selling strong and long-suffering mainstreamers are changing the way they brand and market themselves trying to get in on the trend. Is it working?

Cider: Fruit ciders and posh apple ciders are absolutely dominating – cider sales are up a whopping 6.8% year on year. What are the defining trends in cider? How are brands playing with packaging and flavours to keep shoppers interested?

Shelf talk: how is the promotional and pricing landscape for beer changing with the premiumisation of the sector’s big brands? How are retailers merchandising the category? How are the supermarkets ranging booze into new occasion-based fixtures?

Ale: is India Pale Ale the answer to the PBA sector’s well-documented woes? How are IPAs injecting some life into the world of bottled ales?

Innovations: We identify four new products or product ranges that ideally have not appeared in The Grocer before. including launch date, image and RSP.

Kantar data: Using Kantar commentary, we explain the reasons behind the rise and fall of certain sub-categories.

Nielsen data: Using Nielsen commentary, we explain the reasons behind the rise and fall of the top 10 brands

 

Online Listicle to go live on 21 June: What are the main innovations & how are they shaping the market