Cider fizzes to three-year high as sales hit £1bn
A resurgence in the popularity of cider has boosted sales to a level not seen since 2014.
In the year to 15 July, cider sales rose 5.5 per cent to just over £1bn, according to measurement company Nielsen.
The boom was partly attributed to unseasonably warm weather. Sales between the middle of May and July increased 16 per cent on the year, coinciding with the second warmest May since records began in 1910.
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“This is extremely welcome news for cider manufacturers after what’s been a sustained period of struggle,” said Helen Stares, a Nielsen expert on the liquor industry.
“However, it also highlights how highly dependent the cider industry is on good weather – essentially it’s been brought back into growth off the back of some near record-breaking temperatures. Cider is arguably the most reliant alcohol on good weather in terms of consumer behaviour.”
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Top-selling brands include Strongbow, which holds the biggest share of the UK market with 28 per cent. But the fastest growing was Thatchers, which increased 44 per cent in the period, while Kopparberg (21 per cent) and Rekorderlig (17 per cent) also increased sales.
The warm weather also gave beer a boost, pushing UK household spend up nine per cent during the May to July period.
Beer sales were almost four times higher than those of cider, at £3.9bn for the year.
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