Convenience retailers are scrambling to get hold of supplies of Breezer amid a surprise surge in demand for the colourful RTD brand popularised in the 1990s.
Scottish retailers who introduced Breezer to their stores in January have reported record sales. Londis Solo Convenience said it sold out of its first delivery of over 1,600 units in under 12 trading hours.
Social media appears to be driving the craze. After posting on Facebook in advance of the delivery, Londis Solo Convenience’s page was flooded with fans sharing memories of drinking Breezer – then known as Bacardi Breezer – in the 1990s, retailer Martin Lightfoot said.
Demand was “pretty female-led” and consisted of both people that “want to roll back their youth” and those who “go on holiday to the likes of Ibiza and Benidorm and love it there and can only get it abroad”, he said.
Sales of the drinks had “turned a really quiet January into one of the busiest months we’ve ever had”, with total sales in one week surpassing a previous trading peak in December 2023, Lightfoot said. More than 15% of all sales came from Breezer, he added.
Spar retailer Mohammed Tayab, meanwhile, said his store in Alloa, near Stirling, was receiving “over 50 messages a day” about Breezer, which he described as “the adult version of Prime”.
“We’re getting people come from two or three hours away. I’ve even had some customers from England coming in and asking for it,” he said.
Breezer was relaunched by Bacardi in 2019 but is not sold by the supplier on the UK mainland. One drinks wholesaler based in Northern Ireland requires a minimum order of 60 cases – costing around £3,500 – to ship to Scotland, The Grocer understands.
“They only deliver to stores in pallets, so a lot of the shops won’t be able to afford that. They want cash upfront and then they send you the product,” said Tayab.
The noise around Breezer has also caught the attention of retailers outside of Scotland, with several telling The Grocer they would be keen to stock it. Others, however, said they couldn’t afford to buy in bulk, or were apprehensive about importing from overseas.
The Grocer has approached Bacardi for comment.
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