How to Keep Dry January Sales Going
January is an opportunity for a fresh start. It’s a time for setting goals, whether financial, professional or personal – to simply take better care of ourselves than the year before.
Abstaining from alcohol in January is not a new phenomenon – its roots can be traced back to the 1940s – but it certainly has come into more focus in recent years. Alcohol Change launched Dry January in 2013 with 4,000 people taking part, rising to 215,000 people last year – a huge opportunity for retailers.
This growth mirrors a broader trend of consumers generally drinking less throughout the year – particularly younger age groups. For retailers, the question is how do you keep up the momentum of alcohol-free drinks beyond January and ensure your store is a destination for interesting, non-alcoholic drinks all year round.
Get the right alcohol-free products in
Alcohol-free products have grown in the past few years, as they have become more accessible in pubs, bars and shops.
“Not even two years ago, I would have said alcohol-free was not a strong category, but sales have definitely increased,” says Faraz Iqbal, owner of Premier Linktown Local in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
“I now notice customers actively coming in and asking for 0%. In January, we notice sales go up the most, as our home keg sales tend to drop.”
For Iqbal, the alcohol-free trend goes beyond Dry January and he says the key to capitalising on this is to have the right range of products.
“I find that alcohol-free spirits aren’t great in my area, but low-and-no beers do well,” he says.
Sasi Patel, owner of multiple Go Local stores in and around Greater Manchester, has had more success with non-alcoholic wine and Guinness 0.0.
“We sell more in January because of New Year goals, but non-alcoholic wine and Guinness 0.0 sell well enough to be stocked year-round,” he says.
The role of soft drinks
With the money saved from not buying alcohol, customers may be willing to trade up towards premium adult soft drinks.
If you’re looking to increase your range of premium adult soft drinks, here are some of the brands we stock that can meet this requirement:
- Cawston Press Sparkling Fruit Drink: Founded in 1986, Cawston Press uses real pressed fruit and contains no added sugar or preservatives. We stock six flavours: Cloudy Apple, Cloudy Lemonade, Elderflower & Lemon, Ginger Beer, Orange and Rhubarb.
- Living Things Soda: Living Things Soda is a 100% carbon neutral, HFSS-compliant, low-sugar, high-fibre functional soda. Flavours include Lemon & Ginger, Peach & Blood Orange, Raspberry & Pomegranate and Watermelon & Lime.
- Dalston’s Craft Soda: Dalston’s uses real fruit in its drink and contains less than 50 calories per can. It offers a premium, healthier and sustainable alternative. Dalston’s Craft Soda flavours are Cherryade, Elderflower, Ginger Beer, Lemonade, Peach Soda, Rhubarb and Pineapple.
- Chu Lo: Chu Lo is a Japanese-inspired sour soft drink that’s female-founded and on-trend with Gen Z and Gamers. It is currently on supermarket shelves and featured as a finalist brand in Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars. Its three flavours are Apple Sour, Cherry Sour and Tropical Fruit.
Marketing effectively
If you’re not that active on social media, posting about Dry January, alcohol-free products and premium soft drinks is a great chance to change that.
“We’ve spoken as a team to put something out for January and the following months,” Iqbal adds. “It’s all about visibility so customers know we stock them.”
Reels are popular on all platforms, so use this to showcase your products. This will be ideal for Dry January, but you can continue this after with captions, such as “Keep your January goals going with our non-alcoholic and premium soft drinks range…”
In-store, having a dedicated section and the right PoS can help drive alcohol-free sales beyond January. “We have a section that’s alcohol-free and we have our soft drinks area, too,” Patel says.
“It’s a section that isn’t bought on impulse and is a planned purchase, so if you have the right PoS and have it merchandised correctly, you’ll continue to drive sales.”
Top tips to increase premium adult soft drinks sales
- Do market research: Try new lines based on your own research. Talk to retailers or speak with wholesalers, like us, for industry insight on the top-selling lines.
- Market effectively: Utilise social media and PoS in-store to help market your premium soft drinks. If done correctly, you’ll be surprised at what people buy.
- Have options: Make sure to have a wider range of products to suit a wider pool of customers. Trial for six to eight weeks and monitor sales using your EPoS data.