Does your beverage offering spark joy? If not, it might be time to declutter your fridges. You don’t need to go all Marie Kondo on your store, but it’s worth evaluating whether the beverages you range are generating interest from the customer of 2022.
Naked Life Marketing Manager Lian Brouwer says 2022 will be about “indulgences that bring back joy” and help consumers maintain health and wellness goals.
“In terms of drinking behaviour, we see a continued trend towards drinking from home following Covid restrictions, even post lockdown,” she says. “In addition, people are looking for a more premium experience at home to replace the ‘going out’ experience.”
This trend can be noted in the alcohol-removed/alcohol- free category, which is gaining momentum in the P&C channel (see Convenience World January/February 2022 issue for more on this trend.)
“The rise of the non-alcoholic category is really gaining traction and retailers are noticing and supporting this with secondary placements,” Ms Brouwer says, adding that seasonal activity around the festive period and into ‘Dry Jan’ and ‘Feb Fast’ is driving the products to be front of mind for shoppers.
Health is also top of mind. According to Nielsen insights released in September, 80 per cent of surveyed Australians feel that keeping themselves and their families healthy is a main priority (up 11 percentage points from five years before).
“Consumers are looking for healthier mainstream options that taste great,” Ms Brouwer says, adding that placement is key for retailers wanting to make the most of better-for-you products.
“Leading supermarkets are now learning that, in order for a healthier product to work, it needs to be placed in the mainstream aisle – why should you have to search the store for better options? Many leading retailers have changed or are in the process of changing their merchandising to reflect this.”
Read more about beverage trends for 2022 in the April issue of Convenience World.
