OPINION: Tesco is zoning in on craft beer trend and so should you

I’ve written about craft beer a fair few times in this column. I’ve spoken about the rise in sales, knowing your customers needs and understanding trends, and the value of knowing what to devote your limited shelf space to.

Last week, Tesco announced that sales of craft beer are up 130% year on year, and it is extending the range available in its Express stores from just two up to 31 craft brews. Craft will now make up some 25% of its total beer space.

The old adage is that you have to listen to something seven times before you take action. Maybe this is the end of my own particular rule of seven.

If you haven’t yet got your 25% range in place, this really should be the final prompt for you to get it sorted

The range that Tesco is introducing is, fairly obviously, based on some of the most popular brews – BrewDog, Blue Moon, Brooklyn and Sierra Nevada all feature.

These growing brands are the key category signposts, so it makes sense that Tesco will stock them in its 400 or so small format shops.

However, Tesco simply can’t have the same ability as independent convenience retailers to rotate, to constantly look for new products and drive seasonal trends – are you stocking pumpkin ales as autumn takes hold, for example?

But they have seen the opportunity, and they are shouting about it loudly. They know that there are very, very few categories that will ever see a sales rise of as much as 130%, so they are taking advantage and talking it up.

Opportunities for growing categories are few and far between. If you haven’t yet got your 25% range in place, this really should be the final prompt for you to get it sorted. And then you should be shouting about it, like Weymouth retailer Dave Hiscutt has done.