While overall consumption levels of cider are relatively high with almost a quarter (22%) of adults claiming to consume cider once a month or more often, there has been a reduction in consumption year-on-year, with almost 3 in 10 (29%) cider drinkers claiming they have reduced the amount of cider they have consumed over the past year.
Recent research carried out on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research, amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,020 adults aged 18+, sought to understand the dynamics at play in the cider category and what factors are contributing to this behaviour.
Monthly plus cider consumption is more prevalent amongst males (27%) and those aged under 24 (35%).
Consumption levels are largely consistent across other age groups, except for those aged 65+, where just 9% consume on a monthly or more frequent basis. While, those aged 18-24 are most likely to consume cider monthly, they are also most likely to have reduced their consumption of cider in the past year (43%).
The main reason for the reduction in the consumption of cider being consumed is down to consumers losing their taste for it, with just over 4 in 10 (41%) of those who have reduced their consumption claiming this to be the case. The cider category is also being impacted by the macro trend of consumers trying to reduce sugar consumption, with a third (33%) of those who have reduced consumption citing that cider contains too much sugar.
The majority of cider consumption takes place in the on-trade, with two thirds (67%) of cider consumers claiming to drink cider here, driven by pub consumption (58%). Bulmers leads as the most consumed brand, but the appeal of newer entrants to the market such as Orchard Thieves and Koppaberg is clearly evident, with their consumption being driven by those under 24.
For further information and more in-depth analysis on consumer behaviour within the cider category or any of the other alcohol categories recently explored, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
