As forecourts develop their food and drink offer, there is a huge opportunity to maximise soft drinks sales. Discover Britvic’s top tips to optimising your soft drinks selection and how to present it on shelf.
Forecourts are fuelling growth in the soft drinks category [Circana], with soft drinks purchased on more than a quarter (29.5%) of forecourt visits [Lumina]. With the future of forecourt retailing also looking bright, there is a huge opportunity for soft drinks. Consequently, the importance of stocking the right range, including various brands and formats, is key to unlocking the category’s success. Britvic’s offering includes popular brands like Pepsi Max through to Rockstar Energy and Tango, all catering to various consumer demands, while providing a convenient, one-stop shop for retailers.
Powering up your store
In March this year, exclusive research from Britvic in collaboration with the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) shone a light on how retailers could power up their soft drink sales, as well as their store. The study’s findings showed that 85% of the retailers surveyed had experienced a rise in energy costs in the past six months [ACS]. So, Britvic offered five lucky retailers the chance to win £1,000 each towards their energy bills, alongside a bespoke planogram, to make a difference in-store. Now, Britvic want to inspire more retailers with top tips to help them maximise the potential of the soft drink category.
Top tips to power up your soft drinks range:
Focus on the big hitters: Make sure you’ve got a solid line-up across key categories such as energy, carbonates, water, juice and sports drinks. Products like Rockstar Energy, Pepsi Max, Tango and Robinsons Ready-To-Drink, are proven performers that should be at the forefront of chillers and on your shelves.
Uncover emerging opportunities: Keep an eye out for emerging categories that are catching shoppers’ attention, like ready-to-drink coffee from the likes of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee or health-focused offerings from Purdey’s and Plenish. Branching out can help you stay ahead of the curve and have a competitive edge and appeal to a wider range of shoppers.
Bring some excitement: Refresh your soft drinks selection by making room for limited-edition releases and new flavour innovations. The recently launched Tango Mango and Tango Blast, for example, can encourage shoppers to try something a little different and drive impulse purchases.
Streamline your shelf space and chiller: Optimise your range by grouping similar products together - for example, placing Pepsi Max Lime and Pepsi Max Cherry side by side to offer choice. Make sure logos are facing forward. This creates a more cohesive look that makes it easier for shoppers to navigate.
Shout it out: Use eye-catching point of sale (POS) materials and branding to really make your soft drinks offering stand out – whether that’s shelf trays, window stickers, or anything else that grabs attention in-store. By upping their game in soft drinks – through investment in fundamentals such as chiller space, store signage and lighting – independent operators can help readdress this imbalance.
Highlight the value: In the current climate, making the most of price-marked packs (PMPs) for popular brands like Rockstar Energy, is a great way to showcase the value you’re offering to budget-conscious shoppers and to drive purchase.
Meal deals, made easy
Nearly half (44%) of forecourt food-to-go missions currently include a soft drink purchase [Lumina]. By encouraging more shoppers to pick up a drink when they’re grabbing a bite to eat, retailers can unlock significant growth. Time of day is another key consideration. It’s worth noting that 71% of food-to-go missions in forecourts and convenience stores take place between 9:00 and 14:00 [Lumina], so pairing healthy snacks such as fresh fruit, yoghurts or cereal bars with products such as Plenish juice shots presents another lucrative opportunity for retailers.
With food-to-go it pays to think closely about the kind of drinks you’re offering as accompaniments to on-the-go snacks and meals. Nothing beats the classic combo of Pepsi Max or 7UP Zero and a bag of crisps, of course, but there are plenty more pairings that can drive up basket spend.
Want to hear more tips and tricks like this…?
Britvic’s ‘At Your Convenience’ platform, provides advice on everything from the category through to exclusive POS materials, all helping retailers to stay ahead of the competition and enhance their soft drink sales.
Sign up to Britvic’s At Your Convenience platform today.
