Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/541538
www.beveragedynamics.com July/August • Beverage Dynamics 19 FYI NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS Data Driven: Determining Brand Performance at Retail Brand performance is not simply a point in time. Performance needs to be evaluated over time. Stocking may appear solid but merchandising metrics are rarely static; there's often a lot of movement under the surface. For instance, a brand can have a healthy stocking percent today and even in prior periods, however stocking is a measure of product availability; the stocking average doesn't factor whether it have one facing or many, one size or all sizes, if the product extends along one shelf or is scattered among shelves. Some things to look at: is the brand stocking in multiple sizes? Were those same sizes also available a year ago? Or, are category dynamics squeezing it? Are average facings for the brand and by size holding? Are retailers stocking the same number of SKUs versus last year? Let's look at an example and, trust me, there are more just like this one. Cana- dian Club Six Year has been a popular category staple for many years. Volume was up 1% to 1.2 million 9-liter cases, as reported in the Beverage Information Group's Handbook Advance. Retail stocking, as reported by Shelftrac, has grown from 91% of stores in December 2013 to 98% of stores in a year's time. This is great news, until you dig a little deeper into the shelf metrics. Average number of facings has shrunk one whole facing, to 3.5, versus a year ago. Above-eye-level stocking is down by half, at-eye stocking is down 6%, waist level is fl at at 31% year over, and knee/bottom shelf stocking has almost doubled. More stores are stocking Canadian Club, but it's being relegated to the lower, less consumer-reach-friendly shelves. And there is more. The number of SKUs carried by retailers is also shifting. The number of stores stocking four or all fi ve popular SKUs has shrunk by 26% from December 2013 to December 2014, while the number of retailers stocking just one SKU has grown 46%. Examining the brand's availability by size shows that retailers are reducing stock of 175L (by 16%) and 1L (by 13%), while keeping 750ml and the smaller sizes equally available year-over. Percent of stores stocking a brand isn't everything. The quality of that stocking is what really counts. SIDNEY FRANK IMPORTING ACQUIRED Mast-Jägermeister, the global manufacturer of its namesake spirits brand, has agreed to ac- quire the full stock of its U.S.-based importer, Sidney Frank Importing Company, Inc. The two companies have worked closely together since 1974, when SFIC, a privately held and family-owned company, started to market Jägermeister in the U.S. "Our companies have been working in a trusted partnership for more than four decades," said Mi- chael Volke, Member of the Executive Board of Mast-Jägermeister. "As we think about the future, acquiring SFIC is a logical next step in our long-term strategy in the US market and creates the framework for the next exciting chapter of the Jägermeister brand." Said John Frank, Vice Chairman of SFIC, "We are confi dent this move will be a win for our employees, our customers, our consumers and their world-renowned spirits brand." FOR MORE INFORMATION on Shelftrac visit www.albevresearch.com or contact Andrew Esham at aesham@specialtyim.com. For the Handbook Advance, contact Cynthia Porter at cporter@specialtyim.com. ▼ 26% The number of stores stocking four or fi ve popluar SKUs from December 2013 to December 2014 RumChata. Caribbean Rum with Real Dairy Cream, Natural and Artificial Flavors. 13.75% alcohol by volume.Bottled by Agave Loco Brands, Pewaukee, WI. Please Enjoy Responsibly. RUMCHATA and CHATA are Registered Trademarks of Agave Loco, LLC. I C E D C O F F E E I S T H E H O T T E S T D R I N K T R E N D O F T H E S U M M E R . C A S H I N B Y F E AT U R I N G T H E R U M C H ATA & C A S A D E L S O L G I F T P A C K ! Iced is Hot! Iced is Hot!