CAPITALISING ON THE SEASONAL OPPORTUNITY

“LONGER days, warmer weather and bank holidays all contribute to an increase in demand for alcohol during spring and summer,” says Andy Braithwaite, managing director of Ellers Farm Distillery.

He adds that with the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee resulting in shoppers splashing out an extra £87m in retail outlets, retailers should be fully stocked and prepared for the King’s Coronation on 6 May. It’s important to remember the ex- tra bank holiday date of 8 May, meaning many consumers will be celebrating all weekend. June, July and August will also be the top-selling months.

“As long as the weather is good, more people will be buying drinks on the way home to drink in the sun,” Rodrigo says. “That’s why it is vital to offer a range of chilled white wine and rosé options to attract these customers.”

Customers also tend to experiment with cocktails as the weather heats up, bringing an opportunity to boost spirits sales.

“The versatility of vodka lends itself to summer drinking culture particularly well, with many popular season cocktails such as cosmopolitans, martinis and the classic ‘Sex on the Beach’ all being traditionally vodka-based,” says Braithwaite.

“Fresher and fruitier flavours, such as strawberry, raspberry and elderflower, usually experience a rise in demand. As a result, liqueurs also tend to perform well.”

However, Jesani has been witnessing a return to original varieties, over flavoured gins and other spirits.

“This year we didn’t have much of an uplift on the flavoured spirits, and although there were a lot of limited-editions coming out, they haven’t sold that well, either – people have been cutting back on these extensively,” she says.