One of the most important lines in local retailing in Scotland, Buckfast is set to target a wider audience with the launch of two new RTD lines. We caught up with J Chandler & Co National Account Manager Stephen Wilkes to find out more.
We understand that Buckfast is launching some exciting NPD?
Yes, that’s right. We are bringing out two new ready-to-drink cans: The Buckfast Original 15% 250ml and Buckfast & Lemonade 5% 250ml.
When are the products available?
They launched across the Scottish local retailing market on Friday 3 May and are available in all major wholesalers in Scotland and their respective buying groups. They’re also available in CJ Lang, G101 and Scotmid.
What’s the RSP?
The Buckfast Original 15% is £4.59 RSP and the Buckfast & Lemonade 5% is £2.29 RSP.
How did the idea for the new product come about?
For the Buckfast & Lemonade we have seen the growth in the alcoholic RTD market and we thought that a pre-mixed Buckfast could be successful. We sampled it extensively at trade and consumer events last year and the feedback was exceptional, which gave us the confidence that it could be successful for us. We have actually launched Buckfast Original 15% in a can before but the RTD market was quite immature back then and it has developed a lot since. We wanted to offer an alternative size for our existing consumers and also try to attract new consumers into the brand.
So you expect the lines to appeal to both existing Buckfast drinkers and bring new drinkers into the brand?
Yes, we believe that the new Buckfast & Lemonade will appeal to both existing consumer and new consumers alike. For the Buckfast Original we think that one will appeal to our existing consumers more, but of course we hope that it also appeals to new consumers too!
How should retailers maximise the impact of the launch?
We would encourage retailers to make sure they have the cans in their chillers ready for launch day and make sure that they have enough stock. Retailers could tap into the demand for these products by creating a bit of theatre in their stores and making sure that everyone knows they have the products in stock. Take advantage of their social media pages if they have them as that’s a great way to engage with their audience and drive footfall and sales.
Do you see major opportunities in the Ready To Serve category?
100%! It’s the fastest-growing category in BWS and the amount of product innovation in the category is fantastic. It’s a very exciting category for us to be involved in and we can’t wait to see what impact our two new products have.
How is Buckfast performing generally in Scotland?
Buckfast continues to perform well in Scotland, in particular our 35cl flask. The cost-of-living crisis means that people are buying into the 35cl more and more. That being said, the 75cl is still comfortably our best seller. The duty increases imposed on the category by the government in August had a significant impact on price but we have continued to trade well since then.
How do you think the new MUP will affect the brand at the end of September?
Honestly, I don’t think that the MUP will have a negative effect on the brand because most retailers already sell well above what will be the MUP of Buckfast.
