Gin sales slow for 2019 as younger buyers turn towards rum

According to experts, gin sales had their best growth prior to 2018, and the slowdown finally hit independent convenience stores in May 2019 when year-on-year value growth dropped by more than 10%. The gin range in independent c-stores has never reached the variety seen in bars and supermarkets.

The dominant - Gordon’s – brand that commanded more than 70% of category value share in independent c-stores in 2018 lost its appeal to shoppers and the brand share has declined by 2.9% in 2019. Beefeater (+3.6%), Whitley Neill (+2.6%) increased their market share, and a new category entrant, Koppaberg, took 1.6% of category share in its first year. All this activity wasn’t enough to maintain gin growth rate, which declined to just +3% year-on-year by September 2019.

Gin growth remains strong in Scotland (+40%), East of England (+40%) and Midlands (+31%) but c-store shoppers in London, Northern Ireland, Prosperous Professionals, and Students and Young Professionals communities are switching to rum where year-on-year rum sales growth rate has overtaken that of gin. Overall, however, average rum sales per store are 28% lower than gin, and rum growth rate (+12% year-on-year) is nowhere near that seen by gin. For more sales data information, get in touch with our data team.