Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Cider value sales dip into decline
- The on-trade outperforms the off-trade
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- Figure 1: Forecast of UK value sales of cider, 2010-20
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Heineken leads in the retail cider market
- Strongbow holds onto its lead despite the rise of fruit ciders
- Mixed fortunes for fruit ciders
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- Figure 2: Retail value sales of the leading cider brands in the UK, 2014/15*
- Cider adspend on the rise
- Cloudy cider back on the NPD radar
- The consumer
- Cider penetration stands at 56%
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- Figure 3: Usage of types of cider, October 2015
- Half of cider drinkers list apple as their favourite flavour/type
- Cider becomes less seasonal
- Supermarkets remain the most popular place to buy cider
- Standard formats gain highest preference
- Only 30% of cider drinkers are prepared to spend more than £4 per pint
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- Figure 4: Amount willing to spend on a pint of cider, October 2015
- Strong interest in cloudy ciders and cider from different countries
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- Figure 5: Attitudes towards cider, October 2015
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Cider can move into wine’s territory
- The facts
- The implications
- Can cloudy cider point the way back to growth for apple cider?
- The facts
- The implications
- Cross-category promotions can boost cider (and beer) sales
- The facts
- The implications
- Cider can compete with beer more effectively
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Cider struggles to regain momentum
- The on-trade outperforms the off-trade
- Alcoholic drink prices continue to rise
- UK consumers continue to cut back on alcohol
- Cider becoming more of an all-year-round drink
Market Size and Segmentation
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- Cider struggles to regain momentum
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- Figure 6: Total value sales of cider, at current and constant prices, 2010-20
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- Figure 7: Forecast of UK value sales of cider, 2010-20
- The on-trade outperforms the off-trade
- Fruit ciders continue to thrive
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- Figure 8: Value and volume sales of cider, by channel, 2010-15
Market Drivers
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- Alcoholic drink prices continue to rise
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- Figure 9: UK excise duty rates for selected alcoholic drinks, 2005-15
- Cider enjoys a lower excise duty than beer
- Fruit-flavoured ciders are taxed as made wines
- UK consumers continue to cut back on alcohol
- Government focus on healthy lifestyles
- An embattled on-trade industry
- Cider becoming more of an all-year-round drink
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- Figure 10: Hours of sunshine in the UK, by month, 2010-15
- Cider appeals to both genders
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- Figure 11: Quantity of cider and made wine released for consumption in the UK, 2004/05-2014/15
- Population changes could also impact the market
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Heineken leads in the retail cider market
- Strongbow holds onto its lead
- Mixed fortunes for fruit ciders
- Cider adspend on the rise
- Cloudy cider back on the NPD radar
Market Share
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- Heineken leads the retail cider market
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- Figure 12: Leading manufacturers’ shares of cider sales in the UK off-trade, 2014/15*
- Strongbow holds onto its lead despite the rise of fruit ciders
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- Figure 13: Retail value sales of the leading cider brands in the UK, 2012/13-2014/15
- Traditional apple cider brands still strong
- Magners and Frosty Jack’s continue to see sales slide
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Cider adspend on the rise
- Heineken continues to be the big spender on cider advertising
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- Figure 14: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cider, by company, 2011-15
- Figure 15: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on cider, by brand, 2011-15
- Other selected brand campaigns
- Beer brands pitch for premium image
- Traditional cider brands focus on quality
- Kopparberg continues pop-up festival
- Outdoor becoming more popular for cider advertisers at TV’s expense
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- A return to cloudy cider
- Flavour innovation remains popular
- More brands look to forge a premium image
- New entrants innovate with provenance
Brand Research
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- What you need to know
- Brand map
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- Figure 16: Attitudes towards and usage of selected cider brands, November 2015
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 17: Key metrics for selected cider brands, November 2015
- Brand attitudes: Strongbow seen as a good value option
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- Figure 18: Attitudes, by cider brand, November 2015
- Brand personality – Kopparberg and Magners share an upbeat brand image
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- Figure 19: Brand personality – Macro image, November 2015
- Westons associated with tradition and authenticity
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- Figure 20: Brand personality – Micro image, November 2015
- Brand analysis
- Kopparberg strongly appeals to 18-24s
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- Figure 21: User profile of Kopparberg, November 2015
- Magners has an all-round image
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- Figure 22: User profile of Magners, November 2015
- Westons is associated with tradition, but struggles to connect with young groups
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- Figure 23: User profile of Westons, November 2015
- Stella Cidre is thought of as stylish and sophisticated
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- Figure 24: User profile of Stella Cidre, November 2015
- Carling Cider reaches equal awareness to Kopparberg
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- Figure 25: User profile of Carling Cider, November 2015
- Strongbow noted for value but has lower recommendation
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- Figure 26: User profile of Strongbow, November 2015
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Cider penetration stands at 56%
- Half of cider drinkers list apple as their favourite flavour/type
- Cider becomes less seasonal
- Supermarkets remain the most popular place to buy cider
- Standard formats gain highest preference
- Only 30% of cider drinkers are prepared to spend more than £4 per pint
- Strong interest in cloudy ciders and cider from different countries
- Cider can tap into the craft trend
Usage of Cider
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- Cider penetration stands at 56%
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- Figure 27: Usage of beer and cider, by age, October 2015
- Apple is still core to the market
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- Figure 28: Usage of types of cider, October 2015
- Ciders made by large and small producers
- Usage of other types of cider remains niche
- A third of adults drink one or two types of cider
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- Figure 29: Repertoire of usage of types of cider, October 2015
Favourite Types of Cider
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- Half of cider drinkers list apple as their favourite flavour/type…
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- Figure 30: Favourite flavours/types of cider, October 2015
- …while 24% identify fruit ciders as their favourite
Cider and Seasonality
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- Over-ice serve has linked cider to summer
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- Figure 31: Frequency of drinking cider, by season, October 2015
- Selected quotes about cider and seasonality
Locations for Buying Cider
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- Supermarkets remain the most popular place to buy cider
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- Figure 32: Locations for buying cider, October 2015
- Online opportunities?
- On-trade purchasing venues
Preferred Packaging Formats
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- Standard formats gain highest preference
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- Figure 33: Preferred packaging formats for cider, October 2015
- Opportunities for smaller formats
- Larger formats only gain limited preference
On-trade Spending on Cider
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- Only 18% of cider drinkers would spend less than £3 per pint
- Nearly half of drinkers would spend £3 or more
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- Figure 34: Amount cider drinkers are willing to spend on a pint of cider, October 2015
- Half of drinkers expect a half pint for less than £2
- £2-2.49 can be a lucrative bracket for half pints
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- Figure 35: Amount cider drinkers are willing to spend on a half pint of cider, October 2015
Attitudes towards Cider
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- Strong interest in cider from different countries
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- Figure 36: Attitudes towards cider, October 2015
- Cloudy cider has wide appeal
- Can cider leverage a craft positioning?
- Interest in details of how cider is made
- Concerns about ingredients
- Scope to cut out the middleman
- Promoting cider and food matching
- Building a sophisticated image
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Abbreviations
- Fan chart forecast
- Brand research
- Brand map
Appendix – Market Size and Segmentation
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- Figure 37: Best- and worst-case forecasts for the total cider market, by value, 2015-20
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Appendix – Market Share
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- Figure 38: Manufacturers’ shares of cider sales in the UK off-trade, 2014/15*
- Figure 39: Retail volume sales of the leading cider brands in the UK, 2012/13-2014/15
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