The volume of cider sales has fallen significantly following the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) in Scotland.
Cider was the drink most affected by the implementation of the new law on May 1st, with prices going up by 22 per cent.
According to figures from Nielsen, sales of the beverage fell by eight per cent in the following weeks, which is the largest volume decline overall.
Indeed, sales of long alcoholic drinks such as beer rose by one per cent after MUP was introduced, while vodka and gin sales were largely unchanged.
However, Alexandra Gibbs Seymour, senior client analyst at Nielsen, noted that certain mitigating factors may have affected the data thus far.
For instance, she said that since MUP was introduced, there have been events such as “unseasonably warm weather, a bank holiday weekend, a royal wedding and the Scottish Cup Final”.
Ms Gibbs Seymour stated that events such as these can have a big influence on alcohol sales. As a result, she believes it is “likely that the full impact of MUP isn’t yet coming through”.
The impact of MUP in Scotland will be closely observed in other parts of the UK, as Wales is set to introduce minimum unit pricing in summer 2019.
For further information on any of the points raised in this article please contact Robert Botkai in our Commercial Real Estate and Licensing department.