Features

Flying high in the licensed trade sky

August 17, 2017

Some drinks brands’ cups runneth over in bumper sales year

A year for lager: eight lager brands were named among CGA’s high flyers

WHILE this year’s CGA list saw a number of brands gaining ground, some names had a stronger year than others.

As in previous years, CGA Strategy identified the brands it was particularly impressed by over the past year, with these names forming the basis of its high flyers list.

A number of different factors were taken into account, including total sales as well as growth in sales and distribution.

Lager was one of the big success stories of the last year, according to CGA – a trend that was identified both by the total category growing in value and no fewer than eight lager brands appearing on the high flyers list.

Molson Coors was the biggest mover and shaker in this area, with three of its lagers (and one cider) identified as high flyers.

Not only did the company’s Carling lager top the list – and retain its position as the fifth-largest brand in the Scottish trade overall – but Coors Light rocketed up the rankings to 26th place on the top 75 list, earning it sixth position on the high flyers list, followed by the firm’s Swedish cider brand Rekorderlig in seventh.

Indian lager Cobra, another Molson Coors brand, appears in 15th place.

Other notable lagers on the list include Heineken’s Amstel and Birra Moretti, Innis & Gunn Lager, Estrella Damm and Glasgow’s own West Four.

Cider was another particularly dynamic category over the past year, with six brands featuring on the high flyers list.

Kopparberg had another strong year, as did C&C-owned Magners Original and Magners Fruits, at fourth and 18th on the high flyers list respectively. Strongbow Dark Fruit’s performance warranted a separate entry from the main Strongbow brand on this year’s list, while Carlsberg-owned Somersby was also identified as a top performer.

On the spirits side, Gordon’s and Absolut were both lauded by CGA Strategy as top performers, with Beefeater and Glenmorangie also putting in strong performances.

Craft beer brands Punk IPA and Joker IPA made significant strides in the ale category, while wine brands Perrier-Jouët, Louis Roederer and Blossom Hill also made notable gains in the course of the year.

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