LMG enjoys yearly growth in RTD category of more than 40 per cent

Liquor Marketing Group (LMG) has announced growth of 40.2 per cent in the RTD category over the 12 months to March.

LMG attributes the growth to an increasing consumer appetite for ‘better for you’ products such as low and zero sugar RTDs as well as an increase in customer traffic - up 29.3 per cent - and an increase in customer spend per transaction of 12.1 per cent.

All RTD segments recorded significant growth the in the year to March 2021, strongest vodka (up 72.3 per cent), bourbon (up 32.6. per cent) and seltzer leading the charge.

LMG’s National Merchandise Manager for Beer, Spirits and RTDs, Scot Hayman said, “Over the past couple of years, LMG has been feeding the growing consumer demand for ‘Beverages for a Balanced Lifestyle’. RTDs with low and zero sugar, light RTDs – particularly in vodka and gin, and Seltzer - align with this trend and have given shoppers a reason to rediscover and re-engage with RTDs, while simultaneously attracting new buyers across different demographics and life stages,” said Hayman.  

He added: “While RTDs have witnessed an extraordinary resurgence across the industry over the past year, LMG’s dollar sales growth for the category has continued to be higher than the total market average, and this trend has been consistent in each state and for all RTD segments.”

Across the states, RTDs performed the strongest in Western Australia with sales up 55.2 per cent for the 12 months to March, followed by New South Wales (44.7 per cent), Queensland (38.3 per cent), Victoria (33.5 per cent) and South Australia (34.0 per cent). 

Focus and energy has been concentrated on creating compelling exclusive activations and stocking exclusive pack formats to suit different shopper occasions. Hayman says that these have been “key drivers of traffic to our stores” which include more than 1400 outlets with retail banners including Bottlemart, SipnSave, Harry Brown, and Thirsty Camel in Western Australia, .