Budweiser Brewing Group has launched its Convenience Vision to help convenience retailers drive growth within the beer category, and unveiled five key trends that they can leverage to have a strong year of beer sales.

Convenience Vision will consists of a series of webinars in the coming weeks to help customers understand the key trends within the category and how they can maximise sales.

The Vision provides customers with key shopper trends, recommendations, and key actions to take on how to leverage the data to drive incremental sales,” said Sjors Brandsma, retail convenience category manager in the UK at Budweiser Brewing Group. “In the coming months, Budweiser Brewing Group will be running a host of broadcast sessions to unpick the data and share recommendations.”

For more information, retailers are encouraged to contact info@budweiserbrewinggroup.co.uk.

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Additionally, the supplier is forecasting a steady year for beer, with the category expected to grow by 0.4% and convenience to be in line with this growth thanks to higher disposable incomes and new entrants to the channel such as Asda Express and Morrisons Daily.

To help retailers achieve this growth, Budweiser has encouraged retailers to tap into the five following trends:

1. Stock up for success: Retailers have the opportunity to increase footfall by stocking more world beer brands and no- and low-alcohol options. The latter segment is now worth £32.4m in convenience, having grown in value by 64%. Additionally, small and mid-pack can multipack are growing at the expense of bottle packs.
2. Fast & convenient: Shoppers spend an average of five minutes in-store, and 96% of convenience beer is sold cold, with 74% of shoppers consuming it within three hours, so retailers should ensure their range is clearly signposted with top sellers easy to see and grab, while also using front-of-store displays and gondola ends to trigger impulsive purchases.
3. Enhancing the meal occasion: Sixty-three per cent of at-home beer consumption now takes place with food. Ensuring that shoppers cross-purchase can help increase basket space. Pizza and salted and chilled snacks all present the strongest opportunity alongside beer.
4. The (higher) value perception: Shoppers continue to be price-sensitive, so convenience stores should try to differentiate themselves by highlighting their added value. This can be demonstrated through uplifting the overall experience with clear store navigation and working with brand partnerships. Additionally, the lower perception of time and convenience are the two core reasons why people purchase in convenience stores, and this can be further improved by digitalising the store and creating a one-stop shop through increasing store accessibility.
5. Loyalty and promotions: Convenience retailers should try and offer loyalty schemes, coupons and rewards to cater for the growing consumer desire for discounts.

“As the first month of the year ends, our expectation for the convenience channel remains high. There is an opportunity for the convenience sector to drive sales but understanding who the convenience customer is and their purchasing power is key,” says Joshua Hart, wholesale category Manager in the UK at Budweiser Brewing Group. “Shopper behaviour has changed over the last few years and will continue to, so it is key for stores to understand these shopper trends and adapt their offering accordingly.”

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