Rosie Davenport
Hundreds of small PPS brands are headed for the scrap heap as cash and carry wholesalers
slim down their ranges.
Booker is cutting its PPS portfolio by a third leaving retailers to chose from 80 core products. The move is intended to help independents who buy unknown brands which do not have the help of big marketing budgets and are slow sellers.
Rival supplier Landmark is also encouraging its members to "stick to the brands which have consumer exposure".
Booker's category manager for alcohol, Andrea Hargrave, said: "We are sending a clear message to retailers about which products to stock and 30 to 40 are coming out. We are focusing on the brands which have a long-term place." Although Landmark claims Booker's decision might be influenced by wanting to drive sales of its Chekov brand, it agrees that tertiary brands are muddying the water for retailers.
Landmark's spokesman Ray Donelan said: "There has to be a shake out. Retailers are being left with dead products they bought in good faith and which make it impossible for them to focus on successful products."
He added that stores should look at the approach multiples take to the category.
Nisa-Today's trading controller Rob Large, said: "There are too many lesser known brands. We are reviewing the range fully and intend to suggest a comprehensive, but compact range for our retailers."
It is not just the C&Cs which are assessing the future of the drinks. Spar's off-licence trading director Chris Lewis said: "There is an awful lot of rubbish. Culling at the bottom end is inevitable as the market matures."
Karen Salters, marketing manager at Beverage Brands, owner of WKD, said independents were failing to realise achievable profits. "There is a lack of category management and duplication. Retailers need to look at the core flavours of the faster moving lines," she said.
Smirnoff Ice supplier Diageo said the brands which had generated category growth would stay successful.
>>p54 PPSs in taxing times
{{MARKETING }}
Hundreds of small PPS brands are headed for the scrap heap as cash and carry wholesalers
slim down their ranges.
Booker is cutting its PPS portfolio by a third leaving retailers to chose from 80 core products. The move is intended to help independents who buy unknown brands which do not have the help of big marketing budgets and are slow sellers.
Rival supplier Landmark is also encouraging its members to "stick to the brands which have consumer exposure".
Booker's category manager for alcohol, Andrea Hargrave, said: "We are sending a clear message to retailers about which products to stock and 30 to 40 are coming out. We are focusing on the brands which have a long-term place." Although Landmark claims Booker's decision might be influenced by wanting to drive sales of its Chekov brand, it agrees that tertiary brands are muddying the water for retailers.
Landmark's spokesman Ray Donelan said: "There has to be a shake out. Retailers are being left with dead products they bought in good faith and which make it impossible for them to focus on successful products."
He added that stores should look at the approach multiples take to the category.
Nisa-Today's trading controller Rob Large, said: "There are too many lesser known brands. We are reviewing the range fully and intend to suggest a comprehensive, but compact range for our retailers."
It is not just the C&Cs which are assessing the future of the drinks. Spar's off-licence trading director Chris Lewis said: "There is an awful lot of rubbish. Culling at the bottom end is inevitable as the market matures."
Karen Salters, marketing manager at Beverage Brands, owner of WKD, said independents were failing to realise achievable profits. "There is a lack of category management and duplication. Retailers need to look at the core flavours of the faster moving lines," she said.
Smirnoff Ice supplier Diageo said the brands which had generated category growth would stay successful.
>>p54 PPSs in taxing times
{{MARKETING }}
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