Summer tipple

Stand out from the crowd by following our top tips to maximise your summer drinks sales this season

Offering customers something new and exciting is always a crowd pleaser and presents a great opportunity for bars, cafés and restaurants to drive up sales and stand out from the crowd.

Softly, softly

With warm summer days, customers will be looking for refreshing ways to cool down this summer, so ensure your soft drinks offer is the best it can be. As customers are still feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, soft drinks provide a value alternative to alcohol, so maximise your sales with a great range. Be sure to stock up on sugar-free or diet versions of options such as cola or lemonade for the health-conscious customer.

Drive value into your venues by featuring deals across linked soft drinks and food pairings on your menus. For example, a free cola with every burger on nights that are typically quieter.

THE RISE OF ROSÉ

An unquestionably popular summer drink, rosé is currently dominating the wine category. According to CGA’s Wine Insight Report 2023, a fifth (21%) of consumers drank more rosé in 2023 than they did in 2022 and 24% of consumers typically drank rosé in the on-trade last year.

The report also showed that while rosé attracts consumers of all profiles, women, younger drinkers and those living in a city are more likely to choose it.

It pays to feature premium options on your menus as 62% of consumers are more likely to pay for a better-quality drink, according to the study.

Pale, Provence-style rosé wine is gaining in momentum, but the traditional fruit-driven, darker styles with a richer profile are as popular as ever so it’s crucial to provide diversity and choice in your menus this summer to meet customer demand.

DID YOU KNOW?ACCORDING TO CGA'S WINE INSIGHTS REPORT, PREMIUM ROSÉ SOARED IN VALUE BY +18.9% IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS

TOP TIPIF YOU CAN, STOCK DRAUGHT NO-AND-LOW BEER OR LAGER OPTIONS. SOME CUSTOMERS MAY WANT TO INDULGE IN A PINT AND OTHERS MAY NOT WISH TO ANNOUNCE THEY ARE NOT DRINKING AND PREFER THE ANONYMITY OF A PINT GLASS INSTEAD OF A LABELLED BOTTLE

FEELING CRAFTY

Craft beers have had a surge in popularity over recent years and this shows no sign of slowing down. Diversifying in this area is a great way to draw more customers into your venue.

If you’re thinking of adding some more craft beers to your offering, stock various levels of craft to appeal to different tastes.

To successfully sell craft beers, your team needs to be trained on everything you have available and be able to describe them to customers and help them choose something they might like.

NO-AND-LOW

It’s not news that Brits are cutting down on their alcohol intake. The days of 0% fixtures being reserved for Dry January are a distant memory, with many choosing to either give up alcohol entirely or reserve enjoying an alcoholic tipple for the weekend. According to research by KAM, 5.2 million fewer UK adults drank weekly in 2023 than in 2021. Retail giant John Lewis has also reported that 47% of UK adults are switching between alcohol and low-and-no alcoholic drinks in the same occasion.

It’s more important than ever to provide choice in this category. Having one fixture of no-and-low beer simply won’t cut it any more and you may risk losing custom if your competition has more choice for those not drinking.

For example, Budweiser Zero Alcohol- Free Lager has the same iconic taste of Budweiser, brewed with premium Budweiser barley, hops and malt using the same beechwood ageing technique that delivers the famous Budweiser smoothness.

Premium tonics can offer you double the opportunity as they are not only enjoyed as a complementary mixer for gin but they can also be enjoyed as a solo drink for those abstaining from alcohol. The Artisan Drinks Co has a fabulous range of drinks with branding that will stand out in your venues and turn heads. Bestsellers such as bubbly soda water, classic London tonic, fiery ginger beer and pink citrus tonic are sure to be popular with your customers.