Westons Cider is expanding its Stowford Press cider brand with the launch of a new price-marked pack (PMP) of four Stowford Press Apple Cider pint cans.

Available now at an RRP of £5.50, the new format’s launch comes as Stowford Press has grown by 11.3% in the off-trade in the past year, despite a decline in volume sales of mainstream cider, according to IRI.

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Additionally, canned products have increased their market share in the cider category to 59%, an increase of 18.1% since 2019. Westons has responded to this trend by bringing its canning production in-house at a £3m canning line at its Herefordshire mill.

“It’s no secret that, as a nation, we love to sip on a pint in our favourite pub. This is reflected in the performance of Stowford Press, which is currently the third-largest draught apple cider brand in the on-trade,” said Holly Chadwick, brand manager for Henry Westons and Stowford Press at Westons Cider.

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“However, in the wake of the pandemic, we’ve seen an increasing number of Brits try their hand at recreating the pub and bar experience at home. As a result, retail sales of Stowford Press have soared and it’s clear there’s an opportunity to drive this further with the launch of our new pint cans.

“In fact, pint cans currently overtrade in the convenience channel – with a 7.4% share of cans value compared to 3.8% in total market. This, alongside the fact that PMPs represent three quarters of sales in the convenience channel, only serves to reinforce our confidence that this format will help our retail customers drive higher volume sales.”

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