Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on cider
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on cider, February 2021
- The market
- Value and volume sales fall in 2020 as on-trade feels the effects of COVID-19
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- Figure 2: Forecast of UK value sales of cider, 2015-25
- The market will rapidly return to pre-COVID-19 levels
- On-trade cider sales hit during COVID-19 outbreak; retail sales benefit from on-trade collapse
- Health concerns curb alcohol consumption; demographic changes bring mixed news to the market
- Companies and brands
- Strongbow leads sales in a resurgent market
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- Figure 3: Leading brands’ share in the UK retail cider and perry market, 2019/20*
- Rosé trend continues
- Flavour NPD spans confectionery, lemon and seasonal
- Thatchers focuses on family in advertising; Strongbow on bringing people together
- The consumer
- 53% drink cider
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- Figure 4: Usage of cider, October 2020
- Unique flavours offer a way for brands to extend into new areas
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- Figure 5: Interest in cider concepts, October 2020
- 59% would like to know more about how cider is made; 56% interested in food pairings
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- Figure 6: Behaviours relating to cider, October 2020
- Cider makers should continue to push Britishness
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- Figure 7: Attitudes towards cider, October 2020
- Cider is seen to be the most refreshing drink
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- Figure 8: Correspondence analysis: qualities associated with different alcoholic drinks, October 2020
Issues and Insights
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- Health becomes more of a priority in the wake of the pandemic
- Cider makers should push Britishness
- Unique flavours offer a way for brands to extend into new areas
- Openness to DTC delivery from local brewers
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Value and volume sales fall in 2020 as on-trade feels the effects of COVID-19
- The market will rapidly return to pre-COVID-19 levels
- On-trade cider sales hit during COVID-19 outbreak; retail sales benefit from on-trade collapse
- Health concerns curb alcohol consumption; demographic changes bring mixed news to the market
Market Size and Forecast
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- Impact of COVID-19 on cider
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- Figure 9: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on cider, February 2021
- Value and volume sales fall in 2020 as on-trade feels the effects of COVID-19
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- Figure 10: Total value and volume sales of cider, 2015-25
- The market will rapidly return to pre-COVID-19 levels
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- Figure 11: Forecast of UK value sales of cider, 2015-25
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- Figure 12: Forecast of UK volume sales of cider, 2015-25
- Market drivers and assumptions
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- Figure 13: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s market forecast, 2015-25 (prepared on 23 February 2021)
- Learnings from the last recession
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- Figure 14: Value and volume sales of cider, 2007-12
- Forecast methodology
Channels to Market
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- On-trade cider sales hit during COVID-19 outbreak
- Retail sales benefit from on-trade collapse
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- Figure 15: Value and volume sales of cider in the off- and on-trade, 2015-20
Market Drivers
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- COVID-19 pandemic hits the on-trade
- Government initiatives aim to support hospitality industry
- Health concerns affect alcohol consumption
- Focus on health and saving money likely to increase
- Government plans calorie labelling consultation for alcohol
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- Figure 16: Strongbow introduces nutritional labelling on-pack, 2019
- Numerous factors influence prices
- Duties untouched
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- Figure 17: UK excise duty rates for cider, 2010-19
- Brexit has a limited impact on prices
- Minimum unit price introduced in Wales in March 2020
- Majority describe their financial situation as healthy or OK
- Ageing population and drop in the young threaten the market
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- Figure 18: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2015-20 and 2020-25
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Strongbow leads sales in a resurgent market
- Rosé trend continues
- Flavour NPD spans confectionery, lemon and seasonal
- Thatchers focuses on family in advertising; Strongbow on bringing people together
Market Share
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- Strongbow leads sales in a resurgent market, its rosé variant helping
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- Figure 19: Leading brands’ sales and share in the UK retail cider and perry market, 2017/18-2019/20
- Kopparberg benefits from flavoured cider trend but Rekorderlig falters
- Thatchers and Westons prove there’s room for traditional brands
- Heineken leads, holding a third of the market
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- Figure 20: Leading brand owners’ sales and share in the UK retail cider and perry market, 2017/18-2019/20
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Strongbow taps into pink trend with rosé cider launch…
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- Figure 21: Strongbow launches rosé cider, 2020
- …and has a makeover
- Westons launches new products, including a Vintage Rosé variant
- New flavours create a sense of newness
- Brothers looks to confectionery flavours
- Thatchers moves into flavoured cider with Cloudy Lemon product
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- Figure 22: Thatchers moves into flavoured cider with Cloudy Lemon launch, 2020
- Seasonal variants are still popular in cider
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- Figure 23: Seasonal NPD in cider, 2020/21
- Kopparberg moves into seltzers, an example of extending the brand and targeting the health-conscious
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- Figure 24: Kopparberg moves into hard seltzers, 2020
- Other health-oriented launches
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- Figure 25: NPD featuring a healthier positioning in cider, 2020
- Call for more low/no-alcohol ciders
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- Figure 26: Strongbow unveils low-alcohol cider, 2020
- Recent launches reference provenance and craft cues
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- Figure 27: NPD referencing provenance/production methods, 2019/20
- The environment is still a focus of NPD
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Advertisers cut back dramatically in 2020
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- Figure 28: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cider, by media type, 2019 and 2020
- Thatchers celebrates family life with new ad
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- Figure 29: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cider, by top advertisers (sorted by total), 2019 and 2020
- Strongbow looks to bring people together
- Kopparberg invests in supporting its new seltzers
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Drinking in the home becomes more prevalent
- Health becomes more of a priority in the wake of the pandemic
- 53% drink cider
- Britishness appeals to cider drinkers
- Unique flavours offer a way for brands to extend into new areas
Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behaviour
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- Drinking in the home becomes more prevalent
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- Figure 30: Spending on alcoholic drinks – for drinking at home, surveyed 4-12 February 2021
- On-trade closures see many cider occasions lost
- Boom in online sales as people look to reduce time in-store
- Health becomes more of a priority in the wake of the pandemic
- Negative economic impact on younger people
- Britishness becomes more of a selling point
- Opportunities to push food/cider pairings, with 56% interested
Usage of Cider
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- 53% drink cider
- Apple is the most popular variant; fruit versions appeal more to women than men
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- Figure 31: Types of cider drunk, October 2020
- Cider drinkers have a narrow repertoire; younger more experimental
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- Figure 32: Repertoire of usage of cider, October 2020
- Standard cider is the most popular variant
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- Figure 33: Usage of different types of cider, October 2020
- 37% drink cider once a week or more
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- Figure 34: Frequency of drinking cider, October 2020
Interest in Cider Concepts
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- Unique flavours offer a way for brands to extend into new areas
- Smaller formats encourage trial
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- Figure 35: Interest in cider concepts, October 2020
- Seltzers and lower-calorie versions also provide opportunities for brand extensions
- Barrel-aged cider poses a way to appeal to older drinkers
- Online sessions offer a way for brands to reach cider drinkers
Cider Behaviours
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- Information on how cider is made would appeal to 59%
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- Figure 36: Behaviours relating to cider, October 2020
- Opportunities to push food/cider pairings, with 56% interested
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- Figure 37: Aspall calls out food pairings on-pack, 2020
- Healthier versions of cider appeal, especially to women
- Low-sugar and low-calorie cider interests minority
- Call for more low/no-alcohol versions
- Ingredients come under scrutiny
Attitudes towards Cider
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- Cider makers should push Britishness
- Interest in cider from different countries
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- Figure 38: Attitudes towards cider, October 2020
- Openness to DTC delivery from local brewers…
- …and subscription models
Qualities Associated with Alcoholic Drinks
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- Cider is seen to be the most refreshing drink
- A third of adults see cider as good for relaxing with
- Just 11% say cider is too sweet
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- Figure 39: Correspondence analysis: qualities associated with different alcoholic drinks, October 2020
- Figure 40: Qualities associated with different alcoholic drinks, October 2020
- Methodology
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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