Cider/Perry in the United Kingdom

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

New cider flavours are driving growth, with even pink rosé cider making an appearance

New fruit flavours (ie not apple or pear) have been instrumental in driving growth in the cider category over the review period. This has changed traditional regional consumption habits, as cider was mostly drunk in the southwest and southeast of England.

Moderation and natural ingredients

The moderation trend is visible in cider/perry, driven by the healthy living megatrend, with consumers looking to reduce their intake of calories as well as their alcohol consumption. Players have been reacting to this, with several innovations in this direction being seen in 2019, such as Westons, which launched a new design for Stowford Press low-alcohol cider in May 2019, or Sassy’s Le Vertueux perry with 2.

Heineken continues to lead but is also still losing sales share

Heineken UK Ltd remained the leading company in cider/perry in 2019, but it continued to lose sales share in the category. This is mainly due to its main brand Strongbow, still the UK’s leading cider brand, experiencing declines in volume consumption.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

On-trade volume sales of cider/perry are expected to fall by 42% in 2020 in light of the impact of COVID-19. This compares to the 1% increase forecast for 2020 during research conducted in May 2019, ie before the spread of COVID-19.

Recovery and opportunities

Although consumers may have reduced purchasing power in the next few years due to economic slowdown and potential global economic recession in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this should not affect cider/perry sales too much, as it is not a particularly expensive type of alcoholic drink. In the short term, social distancing and preventive measures will still put many off from visiting on-trade establishments, but on-trade sales will bounce back in 2021, recording positive volume growth over the rest of the forecast period.

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