FABs showing a lot of bottle

Beer faces battle for space as sector continues to rise​Perhaps the primary consideration when planning your back-bar is which brands are performing best in the marketplace. Of course, you need to know your own customers, too, and tailor your display to match their needs and make sure they can see what they expect to see. But a consideration of the wider trends can give you a valuable insight.One of the most significant developments over the last couple of years has been the rise of FABs - flavoured alcoholic beverages.There is a danger of overlooking just how successful they have been in the on-trade because the tendency is to think of them separately from other bottled products. Yet they need to share the same fridge space as premium beers and ciders, and it is a good idea to weigh up your options by looking at them all together before identifying the brands from each category you want to give prime display space to.What might surprise you is that AC Nielsen figures for the turn of the year include no fewer than seven FABs among the top bottled alcoholic drinks. Budweiser is the best-seller but Bacardi Breezer and Smirnoff Ice are close behind in second and third spots, way ahead of the number two beer, Beck's.To emphasise the point, WKD comes next, nipping ahead of that old stager Holsten Pils. Then there is a bit of a gap before four more FABs mix it with the beers: Coors' still brand Reef, Martini Metz, the relative newcomer Archers Aqua and the alcoholic energy drink Red Square.FABs are still growing, too. "They are driving growth in the premium packaged drinks market and when it comes to merchandising the back-bar licensees should move with the market and allocate space according to performance in the sector and the rate of purchase," said Karen Salters, marketing manager at Beverage Brands which markets WKD and the Woody's range."It may prove more profitable to remove a slow selling premium lager or cider and add a FAB brand to your stock. Not all flavours perform, so look for the fast movers."As she points out, FABs also come in a range of bright colours which can attract attention to the display and encourage customers to experiment.Established premium lagers can still earn their place in the fridge, however, and you should give careful thought to matching your brand selection to your customer profile.Holsten Pils may not be the most fashionable of brands, for instance, but it still enjoys a loyal drinkership among older male drinkers. If you have a significant number of those in your pub, it may justify its place.Karen Salters gives the following additional advice on making the best of your fridge space:

• chillers and coolers should always be well stocked. Gaps in the chiller look untidy and are a lost sales opportunity
• give preference to fast-selling brands to avoid the possibility of selling them warm
• effective point-of-sale displays will almost certainly have a positive influence on sales.

Top 14 bottled alcoholic drinks in the on-trade:​

Source: AC Nielsen / Beverage Brands​