Baileys was most popular – but generally limited editions performed poorly.
Baileys has been named the UK’s favourite drink to have at Christmas, in a poll of spirit drinkers conducted by insight tools provider Instantly.
More than half (54%) of respondents said that they enjoyed Baileys straight while 87% said that they would have it as an Irish coffee or Baileys and coffee. In regards to other alcoholic beverages that are popular during the festive season, champagne was chosen by 45% of respondents when asked which drinks they enjoy over Christmas that they would not usually consume otherwise.
The research also revealed the most popular beer for consumers over the Christmas period. A quarter of respondents chose beer as their drink of choice and of that group, one-third chose Fosters as their brand of choice, with Carling and Carlsberg in joint second (32%) followed by Budweiser (29%).
17% of respondents chose cider as their tipple for Christmas and of this small minority, Kopparberg (45%) came out on top, Bulmers (43%) in second and Strongbow (41%) in third place. The poll surveyed more than 1,700 consumers in the UK to explore their perceptions around alcoholic drinks at Christmas time.
Instantly said that the proportion of consumers that drink more alcohol during the Christmas period than at any other time of the year – 48% – demonstrated that the opportunity was there for both brands and retailers, although more than one in two consumers said that they do not like to try new or limited edition alcoholic drinks during the festive period.
Taste and quality (28%) are the main determining factors when consumers buy alcoholic drinks at Christmas, but price’s position (22%) in close second highlights the need for retailers to remain competitive.
Instantly managing director Ben Leet said: “The fact that Baileys has come out on top may come as no surprise, but there are definitely a few results for brands and retailers to bear in mind. The fact that consumers seem unwilling to try something new suggests brands should stay loyal to their traditional products, which reflects the nature of the Christmas season. The demand at Christmas is there, brands and retailers just need to ensure they have the right strategy in place to capitalise.”
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