We flick through the calendar, highlighting some important dates to shout about in your store, as well as other occasions to think about for soft drinks and beyond.
Reading time: 5 minutes
‘Tis the season to be savvy. For convenience store retailers, thinking of new ways to increase sales all year round, keeping on the pulse of the latest trends and tapping into calendar dates is all part of the job. Seasonal hooks can be a great way of giving your store a boost and become the local shop of choice for the community.
When it comes to seasonal hooks in the UK, Christmas, Easter and Diwali are big ones that can’t be ignored. These are major occasions where families come together, meaning that chocolate, snacks and soft drinks, especially premium variations, are key at these times. Creating displays with products such as Easter Eggs can help your shop become a destination for presents and treats, and show that you’re able to cater for any last-minute festive supplies.
Other occasions like Valentine’s Day or Halloween are also opportunities, so make sure your store is prepared and fully stocked with timely favourites well ahead to support your sales.
Whether you’re following the football season, waiting for cricket in the summer or cheering on our neighbours across the pond with a Super Bowl party, the sporting calendar has never been fuller. Keep an eye out for the showpiece occasions, especially major championships or finals, where demand for sharing snacks and drinks is likely to be higher. Again, custom-made in-store POS or special display sections linked to sporting events can be a useful reminder for customers, potentially leading to more impulse purchases.
Of course, if a team local to you is in the running for a big prize, stocking suitable products where possible, such as football scarves, is a fantastic way to show your support and tap into the opportunity.
Long summer days and an extra dose of Vitamin D are always welcome. Don’t forget to make your store summer ready. Hot weather is often a sales booster for soft drinks, so your chiller should be full of fan favourites and flavourful innovations to ensure thirsty passers-by aren’t left disappointed.
Ensure that you’re stocking bigger soft drink bottles as larger bottles from bestselling brands will help with extra pre-planned sales for picnics and BBQs.
Other essentials such as sun cream, games for the park and BBQ supplies are also key at this time of year.
Has staying in become the new going out? Budgets are tightening for many, meaning more consumers will consider watching the big game or streaming the latest blockbuster at home, to cut down on their trips to restaurants or pubs. It’s an area where convenience stores can play a crucial role, becoming a one stop shop ahead of a night at home, from alcohol and soft drinks, to snacks and confectionery. In fact, soft drinks make up 21% of drinks bought with a 'meal for tonight' mission vs only 16% alcohol [1] and total take home soft drink sales in convenience and impulse over the last year showed significant growth of +5.3% versus 2021[2].
Shoppers are seeing more value in familiar brands they trust, so offering renowned best-sellers and creating ‘Big Night In’ meal deals can be great ways to increase overall basket spend. For those consumers who are planning nights in with friends and family over socialising outside of the home, larger formats such as our 2l sharing bottles and multipacks of carbonated soft drinks as Pepsi MAX™, Tango and 7UP Free play an important role.
[1] Mintel & Lumina intelligence CTP 52w/e 08/01/23
[2] IRI Total Deferred Soft Drink, Total Convenience Britvic Defined, Value Sales % Change vs YA, 52w/e 20/11/22
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