Supermarkets urged to let their shelves reflect thirst for cider
The cider category is growing 8 per cent annually according to IRI scan data.
New Zealander's love of cider is growing but it's not reflected on the supermarket shelves, the boss of cider maker Zeffer says.
Josh Townsend said according to business analytics firm IRI, cider was worth $55.5 million to New Zealand, growing 8 per cent a year Wine was growing at 3 per cent and beer at 5.5 per cent a year. Craft beer was earning $113m.
Based on those figures, he said space given to cider on supermarket shelves was "massively disproportionate" to that given to beer and wine.
Cider was given about a third of the shelf space for craft beer, when it should be nearer to half.
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But Antoinette Laird, spokeswoman for supermarket company Foodstuffs, which owns New World, Pak 'n Save, and Four Square, said cider got "more than its fair share" of shelf space.
Cider shelf space varied from store to store, but it was generally between 10 per cent and 15 per cent overall, Laird said.
Cider sales across Foodstuffs' all stores accounted for about 5 per cent of total liquor sales.
"We believe cider gets more than its fair share of space on shelves," Laird said.
However, the company was constantly reviewing its categories and consumer trends, and cider was "no different", she said.
Zeffer chief executive Josh Townsend is keen to talk to retailers about "aligning consumer demand with shelf space".
Demand for cider had increased a lot over the past few years, Townsend said.
Part of that growth was a growing demand for craft cider.
"Consumers are becoming more discerning by understanding what's on offer, understanding the different sugar content, the different flavour profiles. And they are willing to pay a premium for a better quality product."
Massey University retail expert Jonathan Elms said drinks companies were in a "constant battle" over shelf space.
But, at the end of the day, the retailers would make a decision based on which products made them the most money, Elms said.
"Retailers will want to push particular products that they have their bigger margin on, or have a particular better value for them."
Cider was "still a peripheral beverage" in comparison to wine and beer, he said.
Townsend says cider is now half the size of the total craft beer market in grocery.
A Countdown spokeswoman said cider was only a "relatively small part" of its overall alcohol sales.
The company regularly reviewed its product ranges and shelf layout to stay on top of trends, and to ensure each supermarket had "the right stock in the right places", she said.
"[We] aim to have the right balance of products to match what our customers are purchasing."
- Stuff
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