A strong range of wines and spirits tailored to the needs of your customer base will ensure you maximise on Christmas sales.
By Sarah Britton
While the festive season is a key period for hospitality, there will also be an increase in opportunities for take-home alcohol sales.
“We expect to see a rise in at-home occasions in 2024, with more people choosing to celebrate and socialise with friends and family at home in the run-up to Christmas,” says Tom Smith, Marketing Director – Europe, at Accolade Wines. “Although key trends are expected to continue, within the current climate, the cost-of-living pressures will influence shoppers’ purchasing decisions and how much consumers are willing to indulge.”
Jaz Ali of Jaz’s Premier in Grangemouth, Falkirk, is also mindful that spending will be impacted. “With the cost of living, and the minimum unit price rise putting prices up as well, I don’t know how it’s going to be this Christmas,” he concedes. “Last year it was really good, we did a load of promotions and I’ll be doing the same this year as well.”
Accolade predicts that some shoppers will switch down to cheaper products or reduce frequency and basket size. The firm says that the £6-9 range remains important for impulse buying due to the lack of range for wines priced at £6 and lower, forcing consumers to trade up.
“While wines priced at £9 aren’t performing as strongly as the £6-9 range, many shoppers will still be looking to trade up for certain occasions,” says Smith. “For example, for festive parties and Christmas Day, there will likely be a greater emphasis on celebrating and treating. For some, that means trading up to more premium options like Hardys Crest which still lands within the £6-9 range but is a higher-quality option, whilst for others, it may be an extra bottle of their everyday favourite.”
Consumers might be careful with their spending most of the time, but Jaz has certainly witnessed his fair share of people trading up at Christmas, especially on the day itself. “You do get some customers coming in asking for champagne and if you’ve got a good offer – your Moet & Chandon, your Lanson, your Lanson Rosé etc, then people can find what they’re after,” he says. “We get customers coming in on Christmas Day looking for a bottle of champagne. Christmas Day is the busiest day of the year if you’re open!”
Variety is vital
When it comes to deciding what wines to stock this Christmas, more is more. “Choice is vital; consumers are keen for more wine options– either in variant, price, or brand,” explains Smith. “Price is challenging loyalty – familiar brand names are hallmarks of quality and value that also allow shoppers to have confidence when it comes to trying NPD, so it’s important to remember branding is still key and retailers should ensure they stock perennial ‘core’ favourites.”
Jaz is a firm believer in bigger is better when it comes to his wine offer. “I have a dedicated place in the beer cave for Christmas wines,” he says. “If you’ve got a decent selection, customers come in, have a look at it and tell other people as well, so it attracts more customers.”
By providing a varied portfolio, retailers can ensure the needs of different consumers are met. For example, new drinkers who have recently entered the category tend to be younger and less affluent, so it’s important to continue to appeal to this demographic – through things like fruity flavours and sparkling options, which are especially popular at celebratory and social occasions such as Christmas get-togethers, advises Accolade.
“Red wine remains a staple addition alongside festive feasts. Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon should be part of retailers’ red wine range, as these are well-known varieties which are continuing to grow in popularity,” suggests Smith. “We’re also seeing impressive growth of red blend varietals, with wines such as Barossa Ink really resonating with consumers due to its contemporary aesthetics and opulent style.”
For white wine, the company says Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay came out top for value sales, with Sauvignon Blanc and white blends driving growth last Christmas. “Retailers should ensure a selection of these varietals are stocked, with brands such as Mud House French Sauvignon offering shoppers a more premium option, while Wise Wolf Chardonnay is the perfect white wine to dress up the dinner table, with its unique eye-catching bottle made from made using 100% post-consumer recycled glass cullets,” says Smith.
Over in spirits, attractive bottles are a key sales driver, especially come Christmas time when consumers are looking to impress friends and family. One brand that certainly stands out is AU Vodka, which boasts gleaming gold bottles in an array of flavours.
The firm is upping the ante for Christmas 2024, with a top-secret limited-edition flavour, which will be available from mid-November. “It’s quite different from some of the other flavours,” says AU Vodka Business Development Executive Keshav Sharma. “The bottle is decorated, so that’s another new thing for us.”
Boxing clever
What’s more, the brand is going the extra mile this season with special packaging for its best-selling Blue Raspberry flavour. “This year we’re doing gift packs for Blue Raspberry that will include a gift sleeve which looks like there’s a gold ribbon around it,” says Sharma. “We’ve also got Pineapple gift packs that include a speed pourer with the bottle and then two glasses. We imagine for Christmas that will be something that will also be quite popular.”
He explains that there is no extra cost for the box. “People want something a bit different at Christmas,” he says. “They want something that stands out and also that people can literally buy and hand over [as a gift]. With a [standard spirit] bottle, normally you have to get a bottle bag and then it’s just the same old, whereas these gift sleeves and boxes are AU branded.”
Jaz has already reaped the benefits of buying boxed products. “Last year, I got gift boxes in, which attracted customers,” he says. “I got special wines in boxes as well, which really made a big difference in sales,” he says. “A lot of people like to buy wines or spirits as gifts and if you’ve got products already in a nice gift box, it’s easier for them than looking for Christmas gift bags.”
Sharma claims that social media can be an excellent tool for promoting your Christmas alcohol offer. “A lot of the retailers use social media, whether that be Instagram or TikTok, and they get footfall from people seeing it online or they do competitions. We’re quite supportive of that,” he says, adding that it helps to drive sales.
“We’ve got digital media that retailers can use if they don’t want to just take pictures of the stuff in the store, and they can personalise it to say their store name.”
Jaz agrees that social media is vital for boosting sales. “If you’ve got a good following on social media, then that’s the best platform to run alcohol promotions on,” he says. “We run like-and-share competitions, and we’ll do a Christmas hamper giveaway as well. There are quite a few community groups in Grangemouth, so we can just tag them and they’ll share it.”
Jaz’s bestselling spirits at Christmas are vodka, whisky and gin. “Gordon’s does well – there’s about six or seven different flavours – lemon, peach, raspberry etc.”
In terms of vodka, he claims that AU and Grey Goose are good sellers. “I always concentrate on a balance of variety and also the best sellers,” he says. “You’ve just got to make sure you offer a good selection.”
Consumers’ relationship with alcohol is changing, and patterns of how they socialise are evolving, observes Accolade.
Research suggests that more than 50% of UK consumers either don’t drink at all or are actively seeking to reduce consumption [Mintel – Attitudes towards Low- and No-Alcohol Drinks – UK – 2022]. “This Christmas, we expect even more people to mix drinking with moderation,” says Tom Smith, Marketing Director – Europe, at Accolade Wines. “Retailers should ensure to stock options such as the award-winning Hardys Zero Chardonnay, for those looking for zero alcohol options.”
Echo Falls’ Fruit Fusion range offers 5.5% and 9% ABV wines, which are popular with many younger consumers as they enter the wine category for the first time, as well as those aiming to moderate alcohol consumption overall but still looking to socialise and celebrate.
“Fruit-flavoured varieties like Echo Falls Summer Berries and Summer Garden are must-stocks over the Christmas period, as shoppers search for fruity, fun flavours to offer at gatherings and parties,” says Smith.
