Stocking Strongbow Original and Dark Fruit ‘pushes sales by 44%’

08-Aug-2018 - Last updated on 09-Aug-2018 at 08:32 GMT

Strong sector: Strongbow Original and Dark Fruit account for 35% value and 39% volume of the total cider market

Pubs that stock Strongbow Original and Strongbow Dark Fruit alongside each other will see a rise in their rate of sale of almost half – the equivalent of selling an additional 62 pints a week, according to new research.

Data from CGA found that the two Strongbow variants account for 35% value and 39% volume of the total cider market.

On the back of Strongbow’s success, the cider will be rolling out a new dual font, supporting the continued investment and expansion with the UK on-trade.

With stand-alone fonts gaining 20% more consideration over the standard T-bar font, Strongbow’s Dual Font is shaped as an archer's bow and pours Original and Dark Fruit.

New font

Gold and purple LED lights, colours that are synonymous with the two flavours, illuminate the font in a bid to help it stand out from the crowd. The new font will be available to new customers from mid-August.

Heineken category and trade marketing director Jerry Shedden said: “It is really simple – stock the UK’s two most famous ciders side by side and you will increase your sales and put more money in your tills.

“Strongbow Dark Fruit’s meteoric rise is all the more impressive given it was only launched five years ago. It signalled a step change in the category, delivering 70% incremental volume to the cider category, helping to grow our customers’ businesses.

“It is clear there is a huge thirst for mainstream apple cider and draught fruit cider so we urge outlets not to miss out on this golden opportunity.”

Huge surge

Licensee of the Hightown pub in Liversedge, West Yorkshire, Daren Munt outlined how stocking the two variants helped increase sales for him.

He said: “Stocking the two best-selling ciders has delivered a huge surge in rate of sales for us.

“Since stocking Strongbow Dark Fruit on draught, I now sell an average of 264 pints a week. Strongbow Original has also increased from 88 pints a week to about 220 pints per week since introducing Strongbow Dark Fruit alongside it.

“Dual stocking Strongbow Original and Strongbow Dark Fruit is a no-brainer, [it has] great profit margins, and sells really easily in high volumes to men and women. Everyone is happy if you have both Strongbow Original and Strongbow Dark Fruit on draught.”