Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Forecast of UK value sales of beer, 2009-19
- Market factors
- Alcohol consumption is in decline
- End of the road for the beer escalator
- Population changes entail threats and opportunities
- The rise of craft brewers
- Beer looks to become even more versatile
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Foster’s looks set to lose top spot in the off-trade beer market
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- Figure 2: Value sales of top-selling beer brands in the off-trade, 2013/14
- Innovation and adspend continue to drive category visibility
- The consumer
- Lager remains the most popular type of beer
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- Figure 3: Usage of different types of beer within the past six months, September 2014
- 62% of beer drinkers drink beer at least once a week
- The pub/bar is the most popular place to drink beer
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- Figure 4: Occasions for drinking beer, September 2014
- High-quality ingredients are key to projecting a premium image
- Glass bottles are still much more popular than cans
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- Figure 5: Beer preferences, September 2014
- Beer can be a good fit in formal dining occasions
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- Figure 6: Attitudes towards beer, September 2014
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Older consumers could be key for the craft beer segment
- The facts
- The implications
- Capitalising on Britain’s changing population
- The facts
- The implications
- Leveraging beer and food matching
- The facts
- The implications
- What could the removal of the beer tie mean for the industry?
- The facts
- The implications
Trend Application
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- Guiding Choice
- Objectify
- Brand Intervention
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Taxation rates level off
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- Figure 7: UK excise duty rates for selected alcoholic drinks, 2003-14
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- Figure 8: RPI indexed annual change for alcoholic drinks prices versus all items except housing, 2000-13
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- Figure 9: RPI indexed annual change for beer – on- and off-trade, 2000-13
- Craft continues to flourish
- Bridging occasions and the gender divide
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- Figure 10: Hours of sunshine in the UK, by month, 2009-14
- Financial health recovers but remains fragile
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- Figure 11: Consumers’ financial health index, January 2009-July 2014
- An ageing population poses threats to the beer market
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- Figure 12: Projected trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2014-19
- The importance of C2s
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- UK consumers continue to cut back on alcohol
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- Figure 13: Trends in UK per capita consumption of 100% alcohol, 2006-13
- Figure 14: HM Treasury estimated changes in volume consumption of alcohol over 2014/15-2018/19 following changes to alcohol duty in Budget 2014
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- Figure 15: Value sales of selected alcoholic drinks categories, 2009-14
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- Heineken pushes the innovation envelope
- Using social media and technology
- Working in partnerships
- Branded launches of note
- Up-and-coming trends…
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Beer volumes finally nudge back into growth
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- Figure 16: UK value and volume sales of beer, at current and constant prices, 2009-19
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- Figure 17: Forecast of UK value sales of beer, 2009-19
- Figure 18: Forecast of UK volume sales of beer, 2009-19
- Forecast methodology
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Lager drives the market back into volume growth
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- Figure 19: Total UK value and volume sales of lager, at current and constant prices, 2009-19
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- Figure 20: Forecast of UK value sales of lager, 2009-19
- Ale shows robust value growth
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- Figure 21: Total UK value and volume sales of ale/bitter/ginger beer, at current and constant prices, 2009-19
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- Figure 22: Forecast of UK value sales of ale/bitter/ginger beer, 2009-19
- Stout sales continue to slide
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- Figure 23: UK value and volume sales of stout, at current and constant prices, 2009-19
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- Figure 24: Forecast of UK value sales of stout, 2009-19
Channels to Market
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- Key points
- Off-trade volumes prove to be more resolute than the on-trade
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- Figure 25: UK value and volume sales of beer in the off-trade, at current and constant prices, 2009-14
- Figure 26: UK value and volume sales of beer in the on-trade, at current and constant prices, 2009-14
- The multiple grocers remain dominant
Market Share
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- Key points
- AB InBev remains the main player in the lager segment
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- Figure 27: Leading manufacturers’ value and volume shares of lager sales in the off-trade, 2013/14
- Figure 28: Value sales of top-selling lager brands in the off-trade, 2012/13 and 2013/14
- Figure 29: Volume sales of top-selling lager brands in the off-trade, 2012/13 and 2013/14
- Foster’s poised to jump to the top of the pile
- Contrasting fortunes for Carlsberg and Molson Coors
- A changing of the guard in ale?
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- Figure 30: Leading manufacturers’ value and volume shares of ale/bitter/ginger beer sales in the off-trade, 2013/14
- Figure 31: Value sales of top-selling ale/bitter/ginger beer brands in the off-trade, 2012/13 and 2013/14
- Figure 32: Volume sales of top-selling ale/bitter/ginger beer brands in the off-trade, 2012/13 and 2013/14
- Guinness finally halts its decline
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- Figure 33: Leading manufacturers’ value and volume shares of stout sales in the off-trade, 2013/14
- Figure 34: Value sales of top-selling stout brands in the off-trade, 2012/13 and 2013/14
- Figure 35: Volume sales of top-selling stout brands in the off-trade, 2012/13 and 2013/14
Companies and Products
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- AB InBev
- Overview and product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Carlsberg
- Overview and product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Diageo
- Overview and product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Heineken
- Overview and product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Molson Coors
- Overview and product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- SABMiller (Miller Brands)
- Overview and product range
- Recent activity and innovation
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Beer adspend fell away in 2013
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- Figure 36: Above-the-line adspend in the UK beer market, 2011-14
- Molson Coors and Heineken go head-to-head for the leading advertiser
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- Figure 37: Leading advertisers in the UK beer category, by company, 2013
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- Figure 38: Leading advertisers in the UK beer category, by company, 2011-14
- Carling is the most advertised beer in the UK
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- Figure 39: Leading advertisers in the UK beer category, by brand, 2013
- Figure 40: Leading advertisers in the UK beer category, by brand, 2011-14
- TV is the preferred medium for beer advertisers
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 41: Attitudes towards and usage of brands in the beer sector, October 2014
- Correspondence analysis
- Brand attitudes
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- Figure 42: Attitudes, by beer brand, October 2014
- Brand personality
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- Figure 43: Beer brand personality – Macro image, October 2014
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- Figure 44: Beer brand personality – Micro image, October 2014
- Brand experience
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- Figure 45: Beer brand usage, October 2014
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- Figure 46: Satisfaction with various beer brands, October 2014
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- Figure 47: Consideration of beer brands, October 2014
- Brand recommendation
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- Figure 48: Recommendation of selected beer brands, October 2014
The Consumer – Usage of Beer
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- Key points
- Lager remains the most popular type of beer
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- Figure 49: Usage of different types of beer within the past six months, September 2014
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- Figure 50: Usage of different types of beer within the past six months, by location, September 2014
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- Figure 51: Usage of different types of beer within the past six months, by gender and age, September 2014
- Craft continues to flourish
- 36% of beer drinkers drink three or more types
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- Figure 52: Repertoire of usage of different types of beer, September 2014
The Consumer – Frequency of Drinking Beer
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- Key points
- 62% of beer drinkers do so at least once a week
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- Figure 53: Frequency of drinking beer, September 2014
The Consumer – Occasions for Drinking Beer
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- Key points
- The pub/bar is the most popular place to drink beer
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- Figure 54: Occasions for drinking beer, September 2014
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- Figure 55: Occasions for drinking beer – alone or with others, September 2014
- Beer is also popular in other social occasions
- Beer and food: a match made in heaven?
The Consumer – Associations with Premium Beer
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- Key points
- High-quality ingredients are key to projecting a premium image
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- Figure 56: Associations with premium beer (any ranking 1-5), September 2014
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- Figure 57: Associations with premium beer (rank 1), September 2014
- Heritage/history can also be a strong premium cue
- Branding is important for premiumisation
The Consumer – Beer Preferences
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- Key points
- Glass bottles are still much more popular than cans
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- Figure 58: Beer preferences, September 2014
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- Figure 59: Preferences in beer bottle size, September 2014
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- Figure 60: Preferences in beer can size, September 2014
- Lighter beers preferred to dark
- Mainstream beers still preferred by the majority
- Tradition still important in terms of flavour and carbonation
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Beer
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- Key points
- Summary of attitudes towards beer
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- Figure 61: Attitudes towards beer, September 2014
- Beer can be a good fit in formal dining occasions
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- Figure 62: Attitudes towards food and beer, September 2014
- Beer brands need to prove their credentials
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- Figure 63: Attitudes towards the taste of beer, September 2014
- Craft beer continues to grow but does it need a definition?
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- Figure 64: Attitudes towards craft beer, September 2014
- Potential for growth of lower-alcohol beers
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- Figure 65: Other attitudes towards beer, September 2014
The Consumer – Target Groups
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- Key points
- Four target groups
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- Figure 66: Target groups for beer, September 2014
- Connoisseurs (28%)
- Disengaged (26%)
- Enthusiasts (23%)
- Price-conscious (23%)
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 67: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the UK beer market, by value, 2014-19
- Figure 68: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the UK beer market, by volume, 2014-19
- Figure 69: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the UK lager market, by value, 2014-19
- Figure 70: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the UK lager market, by volume, 2014-19
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- Figure 71: Forecast of UK volume sales of lager, 2009-19
- Figure 72: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the UK ale/bitter/ginger beer market, by value, 2014-19
- Figure 73: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the UK ale/bitter/ginger beer market, by volume, 2014-19
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- Figure 74: Forecast of UK volume sales of ale/bitter/ginger beer, 2009-19
- Figure 75: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the UK stout market, by value, 2014-19
- Figure 76: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the UK stout market, by volume, 2014-19
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- Figure 77: Forecast of UK volume sales of stout, 2009-19
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