Spike in gin and rosé sales at Waitrose as bbq season kicks off

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 16 May, 2016

A surprisingly warm early start to May was reflected in an increase in sales of gin (up 15%) and rosé wine (up 39 per cent) at Waitrose.

A surprisingly warm early start to May was reflected in an increase in sales of gin (up 15%) and rosé wine (up 39%) at Waitrose.

Waitrose have released figures on the success of the first week in May, which saw alcoholic favourites gin and rosé rise along with barbecue meats (up 41%), and fresh produce with a 11.8% uplift on last year.

Total divisional sales, excluding fuel, were up 4.2% as the year's first burst of warm weather saw a leap in alfresco dining and entertaining.

A Waitrose spokesperson said: "Classic summer drinks like rosé and gin are doing particularly well at Waitrose at the moment, as we experience the first signs of summer.

"Rosé wine is increasing in popularity every year and gin is our best-selling spirit. Shoppers are always looking for new gin flavours and distilleries to explore. Pink peppercorn gin and Daffy's gin, from Scotland, are both proving really popular at the moment."

In the on-trade, Diageo is aiming to maxmise summer sales with cocktail recipe ideas, branded barware and other point-of-sale and digital support for the bars and pubs it supplies.

The Let's Cocktail initiative aims to help to highlight the opportunity from spirits with jam jar glasses, stirrers and promotional chalk boards and is encouraging consumers to share their cocktail experience via social media.

The push follows CGA Strategy findings that cocktail penetration has increased by more than a quarter, with Kantar research showing that spirit penetration is up at 69.2%.

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