Summer is the second biggest time of the year for spirits sales. Unlike Christmas, the season is very dependent on weather, which presents a few challenges but also many opportunities for retailers. Britain is Europe's biggest BBQ nation and when the sun is shining people tend to plan more impromptu entertaining at home.
With the recent focus on pricing and promotional structures across the off-trade, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that impulsive outdoor entertaining means consumers don't tend to use price as the key factor in their purchasing decisions.
This kind of impulse shopping means availability and visibility is really important. Shoppers want to be able to find everything they are looking for quickly so they can go and enjoy the sunshine. This is great news in terms of maintaining value in the category.
If retailers want to get the most from this kind of last-minute shopping then it pays to merchandise according to how people host their occasions. For example, putting bottles of Pimm's in the produce section beside strawberries and cucumbers, or putting an ice chest in the spirits aisle.
Checking weather updates frequently can enable retailers to ensure they have the right stock levels ready for really warm weather. More important is that shelves are regularly replenished. Over the 12 weeks to 19 May, Pimm's sales grew by 80% in the mults [Nielsen].
Has the number of customer complaints about the price of goods increased recently?
