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Retailers create dedicated space for alcohol-free range as demand rises

Retailers create dedicated space for alcohol-free range as demand rises
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Retailers are making up space in their alcohol section for no and low alcohol range as sales of alcohol-free drinks spikes, with beer in the lead.

A Premier retailer based in Glasgow, is refitting his store to make a dedicated space of no and low-alcohol range. Retailer Girish Jeeva is set to open a "beer cave" section in his store where about 15-20 per cent of the area will now be exclusive no and low-alcohol range.


“We are going to give probably about one to two meter for just alcohol-free range, amounting to 15-20 per cent of the alcohol aisle to start off with. With the rise in trend and now with all the prices increasing, this will be a good alternative for customers to switch into,” he told Asian Trader.

On the other hand, supermarket Waitrose announced today (7) that is is working with Diageo to introduce dedicated areas in 253 of its stores to display the full range of over 70 low and alcohol-free drinks as a research commissioned by Diageo found that seven in ten adults in the UK want to be able to find low and alcohol-free drinks more easily while shopping.

Waitrose also noted that over the past year, sales of low and alcohol-free drinks in its stores have grown by 20 per cent, with beer sales growing the fastest. The introduction of the dedicated areas will see 60 per cent more space given over to low and alcohol-free drinks across its estate.

“Demand for low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks is growing at a phenomenal rate. It’s now the norm for customers to buy both. We expect this year to be the biggest year to date for sales and are preparing for strong demand at Christmas,” said Pierpaolo Petrassi, Master of Wine, and Head of Beers, Wines and Spirits at Waitrose.

“The growth is down to our customers wanting to moderate their alcohol consumption, but is also heavily driven by the creation of new, great quality new drinks such as Guinness 0.0, Tanqueray 0.0 and Gordon’s Pink 0.0. We’ve added 10 new low and alcohol-free products this year and will launch more before Christmas

Nuno Teles, Managing Director Diageo GB, added that UK drinkers are becoming more sophisticated and thinking more about how much they drink, the alcohol-free and low-alcohol category plays a critical role in providing quality choices for those looking to moderate, without compromising on experience.

“However, barriers still exist when it comes to finding and understanding the options available. We are proud to partner with Waitrose to make it easier for consumers to know where to find alcohol-free and low alcohol options in store.”

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New benefits scheme for Fed members

New benefits scheme for Fed members

The Federation of Independent Retailers (The Fed) has launched an exclusive benefits scheme for Fed members.

Called FedPlus, the scheme offers a range of discounts on a host of goods and activities, from everyday purchases to luxury products.

Through FedPlus, Fed members will have access to a range of fantastic money-saving benefits covering a wide variety of areas – from health and well-being to home and car essentials, and from food and drink to fashion and tech, entertainment, travel and experiences.

There is a Savings Calculator to show how much has been saved, based on monthly or annual spending, on a range of everyday categories. The Savings Calculator will generate a personal savings total and provide links to the individual deals.

Launching FedPlus, National President Mo Razzaq said: “In my inaugural speech at the Fed’s Annual Conference in June, I spoke about the importance of providing more benefits to help members make money, save money and make business easier.

“Just four months on, we are delighted to bring you FedPlus. This is an exciting new addition to our ever-growing list of member benefits which brings you quick, at your fingertips access to several offers across a wide range of categories so the money in your wallets and purses goes even further in these financially strained times.”

Members can access the scheme through thefedonline.com website. It went live yesterday (October 31).

FedPlus is managed and run for the Fed by Parliament Hill Limited, which has been providing benefit management solutions for membership organisations for the past 20 years. Top name companies offering discounts include Virgin Experience Days, Nuffield Health, Hotpoint, Halfords, Boots, Curry’s and EE.

Tom Sparke, joint managing director and client services director at Parliament Hill, said: “We are looking forward to working with the Fed to assist them in the fantastic support that it provides for its members.

“The Fed has a strong commitment to supporting its members, which aligns with the Parliament Hill ethos of placing the needs of our clients’ members at the heart of what we do.”

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