Shoppers have been falling over themselves to get their hands on Echo Falls Blue Raspberry Fruit Fusion after the bright blue drink launched exclusively in the convenience channel in mid-March and retailers quick off the mark have reaped the benefits.
Sunny’s Premier in Stirling sold 840 bottles of the 9% ABV drink in under a week.
“I went to the cash and carry and grabbed almost 30 cases because I knew it was going to sell fast,” said Hafiz Ahmed, who then raced to source more. “We were the only shop in our area selling it at the start. People have been coming from Fife and buying three or six bottles and everyone loves the taste of it. Blue Raspberry is the most popular slushy flavour and everyone wants to try it.”
Dan Brown, owner of Pinkie Farm in Musselburgh, sold 300 bottles in a single day. “There’s been massive demand for it. We bought 50 cases and we sold out on the same day we got it, so it’s just been a bit of a challenge getting the stock for it. It’s just been one of these lines that’s just absolutely exploded. The availability has dried up from the wholesalers, but once it’s back again, I think obviously it’s one to jump on.”
Natalie Lightfoot of Londis Solo Convenience in Baillieston told SLR she sold 100 bottles on her first day of sales and claimed that Vinarchy’s decision to supply it exclusively to wholesale for the first three months made it all the more sought after. “This is how to get the hype!” she told SLR. “We [local shops] build the ‘must get’ vibes for consumers. Plus when folk like the taste too, it just cements the whole marketing plan as we are already getting repeat purchases.”
She added: “It’s been amazing! We haven’t had a product like this in a while that literally flies off the shelf!”
Vinarchy claimed that the wholesale-first strategy was designed to accelerate early uptake and maximise engagement while enabling retailers to capitalise on a flavour trend – a primary driver of trial among consumers entering the category – ahead of the wider rollout across grocery.
Maggie Applegate, Senior Brand Manager at Vinarchy, said: “We know that more people are discovering wine differently – flavour-first, occasion-led and often outside of traditional cues. Blue Raspberry is about meeting that behaviour head-on and giving retailers a tangible opportunity to capture that demand within wine, rather than seeing it play out in other categories.”
@sunnyspremier 😮💨🔥 #sunnyspremier #fyp #stirling ♬ Dracula (JENNIE Remix) – Tame Impala & JENNIE
Applegate added: “Putting this into wholesale first has been intentional and the results speak for themselves. It allows independents to back a flavour we can already see resonating across the market and drive incremental spend from shoppers. The category must evolve with how people are drinking, and we see this as a clear step forward for both consumers and our wholesale partners.”
The disruptive launch builds on the strength of Echo Falls Fruit Fusion, worth £36m RSV [Nielsen MAT to 04.10.25], delivering growth by bringing RTD, beer and cider shoppers into wine. With Blue Raspberry fast becoming a breakout flavour among 18–35s and over-indexing across neighbouring alcohol categories [ibid], the brand looks to convert this cross-category behaviour and demand.
Within convenience, the NPD will be supported by POS materials including pallet wraps and FSDUs, as well as social media and above-the-line activity.
