Cider consumption grows as £1bn market growth predicted

The Mintel research says that cider is closing in on beer (70%). Mintel said cider sales by value grew 32% between 2007 and 2012, reaching £2.7bn last year, with sales up 5% in 2012 alone. Volume sales increased 18% in the five years to 2012.
Mintel predicts that cider sales will reach £3.7bn by 2017, with the increase driven partly by duty rises.
Chris Wisson, senior drinks analyst at Mintel, said: “Cider continues to stand out as one of the star performers among alcoholic drinks markets. Usage has flourished in recent years as the market has improved its image, with strong growth at the premium tier.
“The market has also performed well on the back of its accessibility, with its accessible flavour profiles helping to attract new users such as women and 18-34 year-olds. While many drinks markets are struggling to grow in real terms and are also hampered by the government’s tax escalator, cider is one of the anomalous success stories which is also showing underlying volume growth.”
The research found that while apple remains the nation’s favourite flavour of cider, drunk by 47% of adults, significant growth has also taken place in pear and flavoured variants. Pear is drunk by 37% of adults, buoyed by the entry of brands such as Strongbow and Stella Cidre into the segment, Mintel said.
Meanwhile, 24% of British adults have drunk any other type of fruit-flavoured cider.

Mintel said the cider sector still has challenges of its image to overcome, with just 8% thinking that cider is sophisticated, and 14% believing that it’s worth paying more for.