A bit of help for crafty retailers

Costcutter is pushing its craft range

Costcutter is aiming to help retailers navigate the diverse craft beer subcategory

WITH a new brewery popping up on what can feel like a monthly basis in Scotland, craft beer’s position as a key subcategory seems indisputable.

Over the last year, Costcutter has been doing its bit to make the most of craft’s enduring popularity, partnering with online beer distributor EeBria Trade.

The partnership, first announced in October, introduced over 80 craft breweries to Cosctutter retailers and allowed them to buy hundreds of products online, all collected and delivered directly from local breweries to store.

Rachael Grist, category manager at Costcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) said: “Craft beer is now worth over £150 million as a category and Nielsen research predicts it will reach £255m in the next two years.

“With the average price per litre at £4.46 — almost double that of the beer market as a whole — it is a major opportunity for our retailers to increase premium sales.”

To help retailers gain these premium sales, Costcutter has launched a new beer guide that offers retailers store-specific data on the best products to drive footfall and increase sales.

Combining national market research with Shopper First customer profiles, the guide is tailored to each individual store owner, and can be particularly useful for the beer and cider category.

It highlights the most popular national beer and cider brands to drive sales, tailored to each region.

Grist said: “Support for local breweries is a major and still growing trend, so along with the new partnership with EeBria Trade to give easy access to local craft breweries, our guide lists the must-stock brands from local suppliers.”