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/777147
www.beveragedynamics.com Digital Edition Exclusive 2017• Beverage Dynamics 2 Heckles explains. "Even on the hottest of summer days, Baileys can be blended with ice for a sweet treat, creating an excep- tional indulgence throughout the year." Communicating that to the consumer, of course, is critical for Irish Cream brands. REASON FOR THE SEASON What's behind the mid-season category boom at Crown Liquors? Moore is not entirely sure, he admits. But he has some ideas. "I do think creams in general are up," he says. "For instance, RumChata has been doing very well for us. So has every cream-based product." The ongoing craze for Irish whiskey is a possibility. The cor- relation in numbers is not identical, Moore points out, but it's certainly a factor. Especially with Irish whiskey's dominant brand, Jameson, enjoying another strong year of big sales in 2016. Whatever is behind the sales, the Irish Cream category has experienced notable growth at Crown Liquors. "Every brand is up," Moore explains. "Baileys is up 8.6%. Carolans is up 28%. Ryan's is a brand that we're still carrying just a small amount, but it's still up 36%." ALL ABOUT BAILEYS If seasonal sales are one of two defining features of Irish Cream, the other is the dominance of Baileys. The Diageo brand sold 1.28 million 9-liter cases in 2015. While this represented a 1% decline from the numbers in 2014 (1.30 million cases), it's still about four times as large as the next biggest competitor. That would be Carolans Irish Cream, a Campari brand with 366,000 cases sold in 2015 (down 3.9%). How has a brand founded in 1974 remained so popular and relevant with modern consumers? One way is by "constantly reinventing ourselves to appeal to the palettes of new consum- ers," explains Heckles of Diageo. This includes the release last fall of the limited-edition Baileys Pumpkin Spice. "The launch was the strongest flavor launch in recent history for Baileys," Heckles says. FEMALE FOCUS Another way that Baileys has remained so relevant in recent time is by focusing on women. Females drinking craft products has become a big market, as more women increase in connoisseurship. "Craft" is hardly a male-dominated trend. And Irish Cream has traditionally at- tracted a female fandom. Baileys is "a brand built for women," Heckles explains. It "urges women to be unapologetic in their pursuit of pleasure." The target consumers are women aged between 35-54. Newly developed for that demographic is Baileys Al- mande, a dairy- and gluten-free almond-milk liqueur, which allows "consumers to have more options for different occa- sions," Heckles says. The smaller brand Molly's also has looked to tap into the female market. Last year we reported how the brand partnered