Drinks

How to boost spirits sales in pubs

DRINKS MASTERCLASS

Top tips for expanding your reputation for spirits

By Rebecca Weller

As spirits sales continue to struggle across the on-trade, The Morning Advertiser (The MA) has looked into how pubs can maximise opportunities to push growth within the category.

Drinks Tracker: economic challenges continue to damage drinks sales (Credit: Getty/DGLimages)

Economic climate slows drinks sales growth

By Rebecca Weller

Managed venues closed February with further year-on-year drops in drinks sales as “shifting dynamics” make growth more “challenging”, particularly for the spirits category.

IWD 2024

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2024

How the drinks industry can #InspireInclusion

By Rebecca Weller

To celebrate International Women's Day 2024 the Morning Advertiser spoke to some of the leading women in the drinks industry to discover how the sector can #InspireInclusion.

Difficult trading conditions: drinks sales down for fourth consecutive week (Credit: Getty/miodrag ignjatovic)

Drinks sales down for fourth consecutive week

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in Britain’s managed pubs and bars have dropped year-on-year for a fourth successive week, with train strikes adding to the challenges facing operators.

Difficult month: drinks sales close January 8% down on 2023 (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

January drinks sales finish 8% down on 2023

By Rebecca Weller

Britain’s pubs and bars closed a difficult January with a third successive week of negative year-on-year sales, data from CGA by NIQ has revealed.

Cautiously optimistic: drinks sales up 7% in final fortnight of 2023 (Credit: Getty/	zeljkosantrac)

Drinks sales up 7% during last two weeks of 2023

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales were up 7% year-on-year during the final fortnight of 2023, indicating “positive trends” for 2024 despite continued “difficult trading conditions”, according to CGA.

Daily Drinks Tracker: sales remain flat ahead of Xmas (Credit: Getty/Wavebreakmedia)

Drinks sales flat ahead of Xmas period

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales were 0.5% up compared to 2022 levels in the week to Saturday 18 November, remaining virtually flat ahead of the crucial run-in to Christmas for operators and suppliers.

Drinks Masterclass: Lee Isaacs looks at ways for pubs to improve wine offering (Credit: Getty/Jetta Productions Inc)

DRINKS MASTERCLASS

Pubs need to 'stand out from the crowd' when it comes to wine

By Rebecca Weller

Kickstarting the latest series of The Morning Advertiser’s Drinks Masterclass, we've looked at trends within the wine category and how operators can “stand out from the crowd” to encourage consumers to explore wine lists and boost sales.

Daily Drinks Tracker: drinks sales up 3.8% six months to September 2023 (Credit: Getty/	bogdankosanovic)

Drinks sales up 3.8% but real-terms growth 'hard-won'

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in the on-trade were up 3.8% overall during the last six months, though inflation, rail strikes and soaring costs make real terms growth "hard-won", CGA data has revealed.

Daily Drinks Tracker: sales in managed venues 7% ahead of 2022 in week to Saturday 16 September (Credit: Getty/Royalty-free)

Drinks sales up but real-terms growth 'hard won'

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in managed venues were ahead of 2022 levels for the fifth week in a row in the seven days to Saturday 16 September though real-terms growth will continue to be “hard won”.

Drinks Recovery Tracker: drinks sales in decline for second week in a row but wine sales up (Credit: Getty/SolStock)

Drinks sales in decline for second consecutive week

By Rebecca Weller

Wine sales saw a surge as the weather cooled despite drinks sales in the on-trade falling year-on-year for a second week in a row, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NIQ has revealed.

Modest week: drinks sales dip below 2022 levels after 11 consecutive weeks of growth (Credit: Getty/Peter Cade)

Drinks sales in decline as weather cools

By Rebecca Weller

After an 11-week stretch of year-on-year growth, drinks sales in the on-trade dropped below 2022 levels in the week to Saturday 15 July.

Drinks Recovery Tracker: sales in growth for ninth successive week (Credit: Getty/zoranm)

Drinks sales up 7%

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in the on-trade were ahead of 2022 levels at the end of last month, marking the ninth consecutive week of year-on-year growth.

Affordable pleasures: premium and craft ciders lead on-trade trends amid economic challenges (pictured: Westons Cider insights and innovation manager Tim Williams speaking at the cider report launch)

Premium and craft ciders lead on-trade trends

By Rebecca Weller

Premium and craft ciders offer operators a “great opportunity” for growth as the premiumisation trend becomes more “apparent”, new data has revealed.

Challenging start: drinks sales fall behind 2022 levels for the first time (Credit: Getty/AleksandarNakic)

Drinks sales fall behind 2022 levels for the first time

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales in managed venues in the week to Saturday 11 March were 3% behind compared with the same period last year, the latest CGA by NIQ’s latest Drinks Recovery Tracker has revealed.

Lesser impact: consumers becoming accustomed to adjusting plans due to rail strikes (Credit: Getty/South_agency)

Feb rail strikes had 'lesser impact' on sector

By Rebecca Weller

Recent rail strikes had a “lesser impact” on drinks sales than previous ones as consumers become accustomed to “adjusting plans”, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Temporary situation: C&C Group customers unable to place orders for several weeks due to system upgrades

C&C Group clients unable to place orders for weeks

By Rebecca Weller

Customers of drinks distributor C&C Group have been struggling to order stock for several weeks due to “major system upgrades”, forcing some operators to “waste time” scrambling between high-street shops to avoid shortages.

Drinks Recovery Tracker: latest data shows a dip in spirits sales (Credit: Getty/Sarah Mason)

Spirits sales 'flattened' during last week of January

By Rebecca Weller

Spirit sales “flattened” in the seven days to 28 January as consumers continued to reduce big nights out at the weekends, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Year-on-year growth: drinks sales up but comparisons difficult due to disrupted trading during the pandemic in January 2022 (Credit: Getty/pjohnson1)

Soft drinks powering sales in January

By Rebecca Weller

Soft drinks were the driving force behind sales at managed venues in the seven days to Saturday 21 January, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Drinks Recovery Tracker: latest data shows drinks sales in pubs were 1% behind pre-pandemic levels in seven days to Saturday 14 January (Credit: Getty/Henrik Sorensen)

Drinks sales 1% down vs pre-pandemic levels

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales in Britain’s managed venues in the week to Saturday 14 January were 1% down vs 2020, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Pleasing start: drinks sales in week to Saturday 7 January were 24% ahead of 2022 but remained below pre-Covid levels (Credit: Getty/LeoPatrizi)

Drinks sales show 'pleasing start' to year

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales during the first week of January showed a “pleasing start” to 2023 but inflation and rail strikes meant trade was still below pre-Covid levels, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Three years of turmoil: CGA data shows drinks sales in pubs show year-on-year growth but remain well behind pre-pandemic levels (Credit:Getty/Peter Cade)

Xmas drinks sales show 'negative comparisons'

By Rebecca Weller

December’s drinks sales showed positive year-on-year growth within the on-trade but remained well below pre-pandemic levels, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Exceptionally challenging: sales in pubs ahead of 2021 levels but held back by inflation (Credit: Getty/The Good Brigade)

Drinks sales 15% ahead of 2021

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales in Britain’s managed venues during the seven days to Saturday 10 December were 15% ahead of 2021 levels, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Win-win: Majestic Wine announces price freezes for trade customers until Spring 2023 (Credit: Getty/Franek Strzeszewski)

Majestic freezes trade prices

By Rebecca Weller

Majestic Wine has announced price freezes for its on-trade partners until spring next year.

Significant effect: inflation holding drinks sales in the on-trade significantly behind according to CGA (Credit: Getty/monkeybusinessimages)

Inflation holding sales 'substantially' behind

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales by value in Britain’s managed pub, bar and restaurant venues in the seven days to Saturday 3 December were 8% ahead of 2021 levels, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Bright end to difficult year: World Cup sees drinks sales in pubs exceed inflation (Credit: Getty/Extreme Media)

World Cup sees drinks sales exceed inflation

By Rebecca Weller

Average sales by volume in Britain’s managed pubs, bars and restaurants saw growth for the tenth successive week in the seven days to Saturday 26 November, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Unaffordable luxury: average cost of a pint sees biggest increase for 10 years (Credit: Getty/miodrag ignjatovic)

Pint sees biggest price hike in 10 years

By Rebecca Weller

The average cost of a pint of draught lager saw its biggest increase in 10 years between October 2021 and October 2022, figures released yesterday (Wednesday 16 November) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.

Long way to go: on-premise drinks sales 2% ahead of 2021 over Halloween but inflation holds growth down (Credit: Getty/shironosov)

Drinks sales 2% up vs 2021 over Halloween

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales by value in Britain’s managed pubs, bars, and restaurants in the seven days to Saturday 29 October were 2% up compared to the same week in 2021, the latest CGA by NielsenIQ Drinks Recovery Tracker has revealed.

Tumultuous time: average drinks sales ahead of last year but rising inflation leaves them down in real terms (Credit: Getty/Klaus Vedfelt)

Inflation holds sales down in real terms

By Rebecca Weller

Drink sales in Britain’s on-trade have exceeded last year’s levels for the fourth week in a row but remained down in real terms due to rising inflation, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Drinks Recovery Tracker: additional bank holiday for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral lifted trade as consumers chose to mourn together in communal environments  (Credit: Getty/bogdankosanovic)

Trade boosted by extra bank holiday

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales in Britain’s managed pubs, bars and restaurants in the seven days to Saturday 24 September were 1% ahead compared with the same week last year, the latest CGA by NielsenIQ Drinks Recovery Tracker has revealed.

Inflation-beating end to August: latest CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker shows sales were 10% up vs 2021 levels in seven days to Saturday 3 September (Credit: Getty/The Good Brigade)

Drinks sales in August 'inflation beating'

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in Britain’s managed pubs, bars, and restaurants in the seven days to Saturday 3 September were 10% ahead compared with the same week last year, the latest CGA by NielsenIQ’s latest Drinks Recovery Tracker has revealed.

Fluctuating sales: latest CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker shows sales were 0.5% ahead vs one year ago in seven days to 27 August (Credit: Getty/monkeybusinessimages)

Drinks sales 0.5% ahead of a year ago

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in Britain’s managed pubs, bars, and restaurants in the seven days to Saturday 27 August were 0.5% ahead compared with the same week one year ago, the latest CGA by Nielsen IQ’s Drinks Recovery Tracker has revealed.

Little respite: drinks sales in the on-trade return to below pre-pandemic levels (Credit: Getty/Peter Cade)

Drinks sales 1% down vs 2019

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in Britain’s managed pubs, bars, and restaurants were 1% down in the seven days to Saturday 20 August compared with the same week in 2019, the latest CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker has revealed.

Drinks Recovery Tracker: sales in the on premise were 9% ahead of 2019 levels in the seven days to Saturday 13 August (Credit: Getty/ViewApart)

Drinks sales 9% ahead of 2019

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in Britain’s managed pubs, bars, and restaurants in the seven days to Saturday 13 August were 9% ahead of the same week in 2019, the latest CGA by NielsenIQ’s Drinks Recovery Tracker has revealed.