Summer boost for Magners sales

MAGNERS, C&C Group’s international cider brand, is accounting for around 75% of the current growth in British on-trade cider sales, according to latest estimates.

Davy Stockbrokers is estimating that Magners is now available in half of the pubs in Britain and is, perhaps more significantly, in around 40% of pubs outside of Scotland and London — the regions where it was initially launched a few years ago.

The hotter-than-expected summer weather has boosted C&C’s performance in the first four months of its current financial year.

“In London, market share by volume increased to 29% compared to 26% in March. In Britain overall, market share by volume increased to 16% compared to 12.3% in March,” according to Barry Gallagher of Davy Stockbrokers.

According to figures from AC Nielsen, volume growth for cider products in Britain’s on-trade — or sales in pubs — came in at 11% for May.

Magners measured its total British volume growth for May at 272% and saw volume growth in Scotland of 151% and 310% in London.

C&C is claiming a 0.5% share of the overall British drinks market and says it is on course to double that, given the successful start of the national roll-out. The group is also gearing up to start selling the Magners brand into continental Europe.