Woodlands Local is taking a fresh look at its RTD offering this month with the launch of a trial of Diageo’s new range of price marked cans.
by Antony Begley
RTDs have long been an important category in Woodlands Local, particularly at the premium premix end of the market where we have been successful at building solid repeat sales through products like Gordon’s Gin & Tonic and Smirnoff & Cola. We have sold these products at well over £2 per can so the launch of a new range of £1.50 price marked cans from Diageo across six of its key RTD lines seemed an opportunity too good to pass up.
Premix is in fact the only RTD category in growth and it is estimated that the premix opportunity is worth around £760 per year per customer to retailers. There’s little doubt that the move to price-marked packs will help drive sales in-store, given that reassurance of value that price-marked packs deliver. CTP figures also show that sales of price marked packs are typically 50% higher than plain pack. The fact that the price mark is considerably lower than the previous RSP will also be an important factor in growing sales.
To put our theory to the test, we are working with Diageo to run a three-month trial on its new range of 250ml £1.50 PMPs. This range includes:
- Gordon’s & Tonic
- Gordon’s & Slimline Tonic
- Smirnoff & Cola
- Smirnoff & Diet Cola
- Captain Morgan’s & Cola
- Smirnoff & Cranberry
We are following Diageo’s best practice guidelines for siting and merchandising the products, which includes stocking the lines in the chiller as the clear majority of RTD premix products are purchased to be consumed immediately. Consequently, we have sited the products as follows:
- In the chiller
- Prominently, just below eye level
- Alongside out other RTD products and flavoured ciders
- Increased space for the range: double facings for all six lines
- Sited near our big night in ambient fixture which has large format crisps, nuts, confectionery & soft drinks
We will also be supporting the trial by featuring the lines in our next customer leaflet and by driving awareness through posts on our Facebook page. Dedicated shelf-talkers will also be created and our staff have been trained to understand the key benefits of the products and to be able to upsell and encourage relevant shoppers to try the products.
Look out next month to see how the trial is going and how our shoppers are responding.
