Features

Appy Christmas is there for the taking

September 28, 2017

New menu-making app designed to help operators tap into sales opportunity

The festive period offers more opportunities to encourage consumers to trade-up.

CHRISTMAS cocktails represent a major opportunity for the on-trade this year – and key to unlocking the potential is a “premium and effective” menu.

That’s the message from Pernod Ricard UK, which said new research has shown consumers are willing to spend an additional 12% on a cocktail at Christmas (£8.74 verses £7.83), presenting a “fantastic opportunity to recruit new drinkers”.

Its research also revealed that, aside from price, the description and details about the spirits used in a drink are the most influential factors when consumers are choosing a cocktail.

In a bid to help on-trade operators tap into the sales opportunity, the drinks firm, whose brands include Absolut vodka, Beefeater gin, Havana Club rum and single malt The Glenlivet, has launched a new ‘menu-making’ app ahead of the festive period.

The app is designed to help licensees with personalised drinks menus and can also be used as a direct ordering system for point of sale linked to its on-trade campaigns; point of sale material for Pernod Ricard’s ‘Mix With The Good Stuff’ Christmas campaign, which aims to encourage bartenders to use its premium range in cocktails, can be ordered directly via the menu-maker app from November.

Mark Harris, channel director at Pernod Ricard UK, said cocktails are now stocked in a third of on-trade outlets – an increase of 33% in two years, which he said shows that consumers now expect to find them on menus.

“We know a £30.1 million opportunity exists for cocktails this Christmas, however this number can rise to as much £50.7m if outlets are able to encourage trade-up into premium spirits; 69% of cocktail drinkers are looking to experiment in the weeks before Christmas and 53% are likely to trade-up, so there’s a huge opportunity for the on-trade to drive sales by enticing a broad spectrum of cocktail lovers.

“We know consumers are willing to spend more at Christmas, so it’s essential venues do as much as they can to entice sporadic drinkers and our latest research has shown menus to be the most influential marketing tool.

“This year, we’re offering our customers a complete cocktail solution, by not only providing premium brands but also expert advice and a practical app to help drive sales.

“Bars have traditionally been the heartland for cocktails, but opportunities also exist to leverage cocktails in both pubs and food-led establishments, by offering them as a Christmas treat with friends or a great after-dinner alternative.”