Case Study
Face-to-Face Consumer Interviews For Havering Council
Shoppers toasting Team GB’s record medal haul in Rio are less likely to have bagged a booze bargain during the Olympics than when raising a glass last summer.
The major grocery retailers offered fewer featured space promotions on beer, wine and spirits last month compared with the same period in 2015, with the exception of Asda, where booze offers were up 2.7% year on year. Tesco made the biggest cuts to BWS promotions, down 3.2% year on year.
Average % savings on BWS were also down by an average of 3.9% year on year. Co-op customers suffered the least as the retailer reduced its alcohol savings by an average of just 1.1%, while Tesco slashed savings by 7.4% across the category.
Wine showed the biggest decline in % savings, down almost 7% (6.8%) year on year. Tesco reduced average savings on wine promotions to just 28%, down from 48% in the same period 12 months previously.
Beer and lager drinkers were luckier as average % savings on their tipples of choice were down just 0.8% on average, and up in Asda (8%), the Co-op and Morrisons (both 1.5%).
The scale-back on booze promotions comes as the major mults continue to increase the number of offers in store, while cutting average % savings.
Asda (-0.5%) and Tesco (-6.7%) were the only supermarkets to offer fewer space promotions last month compared with the same period in 2015, while Waitrose ramped offers up the most (13.1%). Average % savings were down across all of the major mults, with Morrisons (-9.9%) and Waitrose (-6.6%) making the biggest cuts to average savings.
“Price cuts are now the preferred mechanic for all retailers, with Asda at 65%, Co-op 87%, Morrisons 84%, Sainsbury’s 86%, Tesco 79% and Waitrose 77%,” says Assosia director Kay Staniland. “Multibuys have seen reductions across all retailers except the Co-op.”
| Asda | Co-op | Morrisons | Sainsbury’s | Tesco | Waitrose | |
| Number of offers | 2424 | 884 | 2530 | 3308 | 2396 | 1344 |
| Number last month | 2193 | 752 | 2335 | 2963 | 2125 | 1170 |
| % change m-o-m | 10.53% | 17.55% | 8.35% | 11.64% | 12.75% | 14.87% |
| Number last year | 2437 | 868 | 2250 | 2940 | 2570 | 1188 |
| % change on last year | -0.53% | 1.84% | 12.44% | 12.52% | -6.77% | 13.13% |
| Average start price (£) per UNIT | £3.82 | £4.33 | £4.42 | £4.97 | £4.64 | £6.25 |
| Typical Average TOTAL £ saving | £1.42 | £1.56 | £1.49 | £1.41 | £1.42 | £2.15 |
| Typical Average TOTAL % saving | 28.4% | 34.6% | 32.0% | 27.9% | 30.7% | 30.1% |
| Average % saving last month | 28.4% | 32.1% | 32.2% | 27.4% | 29.9% | 30.4% |
| % savings change m-o-m | 0.27% | 7.72% | -0.78% | 1.86% | 2.85% | -1.07% |
| Average % saving last year | 29.3% | 37.0% | 35.5% | 28.7% | 32.4% | 32.2% |
| % savings change on last year | -2.81% | -6.60% | -9.91% | -2.75% | -5.12% | -6.57% |
| Current Brand:own-label ratio | 88:12 | 67:33 | 90:10 | 82:18 | 82:18 | 87:13 |
| Ratio 1 year ago | 89:11 | 76:24 | 88:12 | 79:21 | 86:14 | 86:14 |
| Average % saving (branded) | 29.6% | 37.9% | 32.5% | 28.5% | 31.9% | 30.0% |
| Average % saving (o/l) | 20.0% | 27.5% | 27.3% | 25.4% | 25.2% | 30.6% |
Published in The Grocer, 25th August 2016