Offering the right range of premium and value offerings, alongside big brand bestsellers, will help you capitalise on this juicy opportunity.
Beer and cider are continuing to grow in both volume and value in the Scottish convenience sector with beer up 2.7% in volume and +5.3% in value compared with the previous year and cider up 6% in value and +1.5% on volume [Circana convenience Scotland MAT to 29.11.25], observes C&C Group, home to Tennent’s, Magners and Orchard Pig.
“The sector has responded better to the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP), which has been more severe in major supermarkets where volumes have declined,” notes Mhairi Ross, C&C brands – Off Trade Beer & Cider Director. “The convenience channel has also been well placed to respond to growing demand for smaller and mid-packed sizes, as well as chilled products for those on the go.”
Beer continues to be a core category for the convenience channel, worth £1.7bn and growing +5.1% vs YA [Circana 09/11/25 MAT], states BrewDog. “When we look at Scottish convenience this performance is even higher, with total beer +8.6% (value) in Northern Scotland and +9.1% in Central Scotland [ibid],” says Georgia Ladbrook, Shopper Marketing Manager – Impulse. “This highlights that, if ranged correctly, beer is a significant profit driver for Scottish convenience retailers, giving them an advantage over the multiples.”
Perpetual promos
One Scot who appears to have mastered beer and cider is Jaz Ali, owner of Jaz’s Premier in Grangemouth, which houses its own beer cave. “Our sales are up by between 35-40% year-on-year,” he beams. “I’ve got promotions on constantly, so sales are good.”
Allocating optimum space to each area has been key to its success. “If you’ve got your display and merchandising right it makes a big difference,” he says. “I give 4-pack cans of beer 3m. Then I’ve got my stacks on multipacks like Budweiser, Tennent’s, Heineken and Stella on the floor so you see them as soon as you enter the beer cave.”
He continues: “I have 2.5m just for cider and we stock a range of flavours. There are must-stocks like your Kopparberg, your Thatcher’s and your Strongbow key lines. But sometimes customers get bored drinking the same thing all the time.”
So he also stocks popular flavours from Old Mout and Rekorderlig, plus Bulmers, Magners, K cider and Inch’s, in addition to new varieties, such as Kopparberg Mango, which launched last year. “When customers see new lines advertised, they’ll always come in looking for it and if you’ve not got it, they’ll go somewhere else,” he states.
For Kopparberg, Scotland remains a very important market, with brand value now over £17m [Circana Market Advantage All Outlets (Scotland) 52 w/e to 27th December 2025]. “We’re seeing strong growth in convenience, with value sales up +3.9%, which reinforces just how critical local stores are for cider in Scotland,” says Head of Marketing, Rob Salvesen. “Within that, a few areas really stand out. Variety packs continue to perform exceptionally well, with the 10-pack growing +53% year-on-year across Scotland, delivering over £1m in sales from that SKU alone [ibid]. We now hold three of the top five fruit cider multipacks in Scotland, and our core Mixed Fruit variety pack is still growing at +5% [ibid], which shows this isn’t just trial – it’s repeat behaviour.”
Singles are another major strength, notes Salvesen, flagging up that Strawberry & Lime and Mixed Fruit are the number one and two bestselling fruit cider singles in Scotland [ibid].
In share terms, Kopparberg now claims to hold 15% of total cider in Scotland, second only to Strongbow at 30% and ahead of Thatchers at 12% [ibid]. The brand claims to be the market leader within fruit cider with a 38% share across all outlets [ibid].
Another brand thirsty for share in the fruit cider field is Crumpton Oaks from Aston Manor, which unveiled Strawberry and Berry variants last July.
“With 40% of cider shoppers seeking new flavours and flavoured cider sales in the value sector growing by +11% MAT [Nielsen Cider Report to 22.02.2025] – the launch couldn’t have been better timed,” says Trade Marketing Manager Natalie Marshall. “The flavours have sold more than half a million cans since launch, becoming one of the top-performing flavoured cider launches of 2025 [Aston Manor Internal Sales Data, Volume, YTD to November 2025].”
Retailer Ian Handley, of Handley’s Go Local in Cheshire, is a fan of the brand. “We stock Crumpton Oaks in a price-marked format in the chiller, so it’s ready to go for our customers,” he says. “Crumpton Oaks is a strong seller when on promotion, and its performance has led us to stock the 2.5L format, which also performed very well.”
In addition to budget-friendly ciders, there is also demand for a new type of value, notes Marshall.
Premium value
“Traditionally, retailers and suppliers have viewed the cider category with three clear price segments – Value, Mainstream and Premium – but we are seeing the establishment of a top tier in value, which is attracting customers who are looking for great quality drinks at reasonable prices,” she says.
“We are meeting what consumers are looking for by offering the premium option in value price brackets. Knights Cider is leading the charge as the number one strong cider brand in the UK [Nielson, Cider, GB Total Coverage, Strong, Last 12wks to 01/11/2025] and the No.2 cider brand in the convenience channel [TWC, Cider, Product Performance, Volume, Last 13wks to 30.11.2025].”
The brand has delivered a +67% growth in volume sales in convenience [TWC, Cider, Brand Performance, Volume, MAT to 13.07.2025] and has a rate of sale that’s 1.7 times its nearest competitor [Nielsen Off-Trade Data, Total impulse, MAT to w/e 9th August 2025]. Marshall says Knight’s Vintage, which has an 8.4% ABV, is “the one to watch going into 2026”. The brand has sold 1.7 million units in the past year and with an RSP of £1.50-1.80, she claims Knight’s Vintage offers a great margin for retail partners.
Store owner Kay Patel of Best-one Convenience Store, Wanstead, says: “We introduced Knights based on a recommendation from a staff member and although it was slow to begin with, over time it has really picked up. It has a cheaper RSP than its main competitor, which meets what the shopper is looking for.”
BrewDog has also acknowledged the importance of value. “With value a high consideration, we are seeing a lot more support for price-marked packs, which is driving solid growth for the beer category, delivering a higher perception of value to shoppers by providing clear and transparent communication of price from retailer to consumer,” says Ladbrook.
- Review your mainstream cider brands. Do all the brands you stock offer something unique and different or are you offering ones that do the same job? Consider delisting some mainstream brands in favour of premium and value options that are in growth.
- Block by brand and arrange by price. Make sure you group brands together and merchandise them on shelf according to their price bracket, ensuring that your highest-margin products are most prominent.
- Focus on key formats. Within value cider, largest PET bottles and multipacks perform the strongest, while 500ml glass bottles add the most value to premium products.
- Ensure you are regularly training your staff. Making sure your staff understand the purpose of Challenge 25 and are adhering to licensing restrictions is key to selling cider well, but also ensure they understand how to upsell and discuss the products you have on sale.
Premium value
“Traditionally, retailers and suppliers have viewed the cider category with three clear price segments – Value, Mainstream and Premium – but we are seeing the establishment of a top tier in value, which is attracting customers who are looking for great quality drinks at reasonable prices,” she says.
“We are meeting what consumers are looking for by offering the premium option in value price brackets. Knights Cider is leading the charge as the number one strong cider brand in the UK [Nielson, Cider, GB Total Coverage, Strong, Last 12wks to 01/11/2025] and the No.2 cider brand in the convenience channel [TWC, Cider, Product Performance, Volume, Last 13wks to 30.11.2025].”
The brand has delivered a +67% growth in volume sales in convenience [TWC, Cider, Brand Performance, Volume, MAT to 13.07.2025] and has a rate of sale that’s 1.7 times its nearest competitor [Nielsen Off-Trade Data, Total impulse, MAT to w/e 9th August 2025]. Marshall says Knight’s Vintage, which has an 8.4% ABV, is “the one to watch going into 2026”. The brand has sold 1.7 million units in the past year and with an RSP of £1.50-1.80, she claims Knight’s Vintage offers a great margin for retail partners.
Store owner Kay Patel of Best-one Convenience Store, Wanstead, says: “We introduced Knights based on a recommendation from a staff member and although it was slow to begin with, over time it has really picked up. It has a cheaper RSP than its main competitor, which meets what the shopper is looking for.”
BrewDog has also acknowledged the importance of value. “With value a high consideration, we are seeing a lot more support for price-marked packs, which is driving solid growth for the beer category, delivering a higher perception of value to shoppers by providing clear and transparent communication of price from retailer to consumer,” says Ladbrook.
Jaz Ali of Jaz’s Premier Grangemouth claims that having a beer cave is a major draw. “Getting a beer cave is one of the best things I’ve done,” he says. “I’m the only store in this area that’s got a beer cave, it attracts customers -it’s just something new for people to come in and have a look.”
Carlsberg Britvic, which owns the Poretti, Kronenbourg 1664 and, of course, Carlsberg brands, concurs that caves can catapult sales. “Something we are seeing grow in popularity are beer caves, chilled rooms, which obviously represent a significant investment, but can greatly increase your customer base and ensure you’re a destination for beer and cider fans,” says Ben Parker, VP Sales – Off Trade.
But regardless of whether or not you have a beer cave, Parker claims that chilling beer is a must.
“In order to ensure they are a destination for beer, convenience retailers should ensure they have a good selection of small-bottled lager packs available in the chiller for shorter-term consumption. As well as this, it’s important to stock mid and large lager and stout multipacks, which can help cater to bigger group occasions.”
PMP power
Last summer, BrewDog introduced price-marked versions of its best-selling products: Punk IPA four-pack and Hazy Jane four-pack. The four-pack PMP drove +£27.7m in convenience last year, which was 41% of total lager growth [Circana 09/11/25 MAT].
Following the success of the first two PMP four-packs, BrewDog is expanding price marking across its lager portfolio. These will include a Cold Beer 4 x pint can pack (price marked at £5.49) and Lost Lager 4 x pint can packs (price marked at £7.25).
Cost of living is still the number one concern for UK consumers and continues to impact the way consumers shop, declares Ross. “For some, they will prioritise affordable options, choosing to save where they can and stick with trusted brands they know and love, while others as we know are choosing to trade up to a premium option and consume less.
“Stocking core favourites consumers easily recognise such as Tennent’s Lager can play a key role,” she says. “Also on shelf should be a couple of premium options for those wishing to trade up. Alongside Tennent’s, our portfolio also includes premium world beers Menabrea and Heverlee, a refreshing pilsner.”
Heineken concurs that shoppers are looking for quality, as well as accessible pricing options. The firm’s Inch’s Cider has demonstrated recent growth of 1.3% in share, with an overall 4.6% value share [Nielsen Scantrack 28.09.24, Total Coverage]. “A mix of mainstream and premium will overall help stores encourage purchases and facilitate trade up and a bigger basket spend,” says Category & Commercial Strategy Director, Alexander Wilson.
Ross predicts that beer and cider will continue to do well within the Scottish convenience sector in 2026, particularly due to MUP closing the gap to supermarkets. “For retailers to win customers who would have traditionally purchased from supermarkets, convenience stores should carefully consider their beer and cider range, the pack sizes they have in chiller and have a clear pricing structure showing any value or promotion to best maximise sales opportunity.”
Increased focus on health and wellbeing is resulting in continued demand for moderation, states C&C Group. “We are also seeing an increase in the use of diet drugs such as GLP-1s which are further reducing consumption both at home and in the on-trade,” says Mhairi Ross, C&C brands – Off-Trade Beer & Cider Director. “These trends give rise to fewer occasions and fewer drinks, but it also presents opportunities with the growth of no and low variants which are experiencing volume growth across all outlets [Circana All Outlets Scotland MAT 29.11.25].”
Although they are a very small base with under 10% of all no/low beer and cider shopped in the convenience channel [Circana all outlets Scotland total no/low mat to 29.11.25], C&C expects to see continued growth in the next 12 months based on current demand for moderating.
“With the trend for moderation showing no signs of slowing, many consumers will be expecting to find no and low products on the shelves of their local c-store and will likely shop around to get them as opposed to buying something else, meaning shops that do not cater to the no and low consumer risk missing out on further sales from consumers’ baskets,” says Ross.
Tennent’s range includes Tennent’s Zero and Tennent’s Light, a refreshing 3.4% ABV lager that is also gluten free and suitable for those looking for a lighter alcoholic beer.
BrewDog agrees that Alcohol Free is a key category to explore in 2026. “More consumers are focusing on moderation or even abstention, with 43% reducing the alcohol content of the drinks they consume [Vypr Consumer Research – July 2024],” says Georgia Ladbrook, Shopper Marketing Manager – Impulse. “This has led to a generational shift, with almost 40% of 18-25s not drinking alcohol at all vs 22% in 2019 [Bespoke Consumer Research – August 2024].
“Moderation is now mainstream with three in four of us moderating our alcohol intake to some degree and the number of people looking to moderate alcohol consumption is similar in size to the number who consume alcohol once a week (77%) [Vypr Consumer insights, KAM research 2024].”
BrewDog offers AF alternatives for all its Headline favourites, as well as mid-strength Cold Beer, which has a 3.4% ABV, meeting demand for more sessionable-strength beer.
Not everyone is looking for an alcoholic option, concurs Carlsberg-Britvic. “There are a number of light and alcohol-free options within the category that appeal to shoppers,” says Ben Parker, VP Sales – Off-Trade. “Whether that be due to being a designated driver, moderation or completely abstaining, stocking up on products such as our 6x330ml 1664 Bière 0.0% packs meet different needs and preferences.”
