Britvic has launched its branded tonic water into the convenience channel for the first time, with the mixer now available exclusively to wholesale in an 850ml bottle in classic and low-calorie variants.
The move will help retailers capitalise on the rising demand for 'at-home' mixing products, which saw a 58% growth due to the pandemic, the company said citing a recent IRI report.
Growth
As lockdown led to the closure of on-trade channels, consumers took to drinking at home and attempting to replicate the experience of drinking outside.
The demand for mixers, up 29.7%, continues to outpace the demand for soft drinks (+13%), Britvic said, citing data from Kantar.
The trend for drinking mixers without the addition of alcohol has also seen a 6.4% growth.
At-home mixers have the potential to provide strong value for retailers by trading customers up from own-label products, Britvic added.
Value Addition
Phil Sanders, out-of-home commercial director at Britvic, commented, "Although private label traditionally dominates the segment from a volume perspective, branded mixers are adding more value with over three times the price per litre."
Sanders added, "Britvic mixers are the third-largest mixer brand in out-of-home channels and a much-loved pub classic. We expect its popularity to translate into the at-home market too. We are seeing growing demand for mixers for drinking at home, with people increasingly visiting smaller stores during the pandemic for larger formats."
Britvic Indian Tonic Water is currently available in the wholesale and convenience sectors and will be rolled out further in mid-March, the company added.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
