3 minute read
World Gin Day
WORLD GIN DAY FOR RETAILERS
With the gin category booming, occasions such as World Gin Day are an opportunity for retailers to upsell and encourage experimentation within the category, as Deb Jackson discovers.
With World Gin Day rapidly approaching it’s time to start thinking about ways in which you can activate in-store to help boost sales and drive education around the booming gin category.
Much like World Whisky Day, which is now the third largest period of whisky sales behind Christmas and Father’s Day, World Gin Day is an occasion that is typically more celebrated through events and activations in the on-premise – but there’s absolutely no reason why retailers can’t cash in on the action.
A global celebration of the juniper spirit, World Gin Day isheld annually on the second Saturday in June, and with a bevvy of new gins hitting the market and a new generation of drinkers showing an interest in the category, it’s a great opportunity for retailers to create some excitement in-store.
Bella Sufferini, the Assistant Brand Manager for Scotch Whisky and Gin at Pernod Ricard, says that in a rapidly growing category, World Gin Day is an opportunity for retailers to drive education and to tell the story behind the gins they are selling.
To execute well, retailers should ensure their shelves are well stocked with not only their core range of gins but also some limited or interesting new releases.
“In the last year, over 250 new gins have launched into Australia and it’s a great opportunity for both international and local gins to drive education around the category. Retailers can use this day to drive the story behind their gins and help consumers to discover what gin best suits their needs among the sea of products that are now out there,” says Sufferini.
Peter Hollands, the Brand Ambassador for Bombay Sapphire at Bacardi-Martini Australia, agrees with Sufferini, saying there is no better in-store activation or way to drive consumer education around gin than having knowledgeable staff.
“A knowledgeable recommendation is the best theatre you’ll ever see when it comes to purchasing gin – so train your staff,” he says.
PREPARING FOR WORLD GIN DAY
So how far out should retailers start preparing for World Gin Day? Sufferini says, the earlier the better.
“It allows for a lot of hype and an opportunity to explore longer term activities such as a content series that drive the brands,” she says.
For Hollands, he says that with gin sparking an interest with new demographics, namely millennials, retailers should constantly be revising their gin selection and updating their staff knowledge.
“If retailers are not celebrating [World Gin Day] then they are definitely missing out. I’ve seen a boom in gin interest over the last two years, surely helped along the way by events like World Gin Day. Retailers will certainly see consumers coming in looking for their favourite classic gin like Bombay Sapphire or perhaps for something new. “Of course there other great events like World Whisky Day, however with the second gin craze (possibly) starting now you will want to be continually improving and revising your gin selection. And of course training your staff,” he says.
Retailers should get in touch with suppliers now (if you haven’t already) and ask about potential giveaways or to arrange a tasting or education event in-store. Failing that, ask your local reps for some tasting stock to host your own event and make sure that your staff is well informed about the gin they are selling.
“It’s just such a great day for all gin drinkers along with people who may not have tried too much gin before. I’ll definitely be out in trade talking to consumers, trying a few new gins myself but also definitely enjoying a wet Bombay Sapphire Gibson,” says Hollands.
CHANGING DEMOGRAPHIC
Both Hollands and Sufferini have noticed a shift in the demographic of gin drinkers, saying that they are getting younger. We’re now seeing more millennials purchasing gin and pairing it with their preferred tonic and garnish.
“We have seen a new generation of gin drinkers coming through, predominantly 25-34 year olds. Through gin category drivers and looking into their values, we can see that more millennials are coming into gin,” says Sufferini.
For World Gin Day, Pernod will be activating Beefeater gin in the on-premise. “With a diverse range from London Dry, Strawberry and 24, Beefeater allows us to tap into different consumption occasions such as a G&T or Gin Martini,” says Sufferini.
So why not get in touch with bars in your local area and see how you can work together to really maximise on the opportunities presented by the occasion.
With a boom in gin interest, so many new products hitting the market and a whole new demographic showing an interest in the category, there is no reason to not start thinking outside the box of ways you can use World Gin Day to boost gin sales in your store.
