In October, cider grew its share of beer dollars in Circana-tracked off-premise channels +0.25% month-over-month (MoM) – an improvement over the segment’s typical fall seasonal declines. The trend change is primarily due to the efforts of National Cider Month, according to leadership at Schilling Cider.
Schilling co-founder and CEO Colin Schilling, CCO Eric Phillips and EVP of marketing Rachel Thomas joined the Brewbound Podcast during National Cider Month to discuss the campaign. Brewbound caught up with the team a month later to see how National Cider Month performed and how their efforts are showing up in the numbers.
The Seattle-based cidery spearheaded Cider Month, taking it national for the first time this year, encouraging retailers and fellow cider companies to highlight hard cider in October. The increase in shelf space and ad campaigns gained regional cideries $1.9 million in dollar sales year-over-year (YoY) in Circana-tracked multi-outlet plus convenience stores during October, according to Thomas.
Brands that “actively participated” in National Cider Month were able to grow dollar sales +21% more than other cider brands, Thomas shared with Brewbound. And within the West region alone, several regional cider brands recorded double- or triple-digit YoY dollar sales gains in Circana-tracked channels, including:
- Portland, Oregon-based Portland Cider (+19.8%, to $1.3 million);
- Portland, Oregon-based Square Mile Cider (+34.02%, to $579K);
- Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Sandia Hard Cider (+26.45%, to $225K);
- Kennewick, Washington-based D.S. Cider (+86.37%, to $136K);
- Denver, Colorado-based Stem Cider (+1,153.35%, to $130K);
- Seattle, Washington-based Yonder Cider (+47.99%, to $103K);
- Bend, Oregon-based Bend Cider (+97.49%, to $93K);
- Denver-based Colorado Cider (+1,112.5%, to $87K);
- And Billings, Montana-based Last Chance (+47.91%, to $82K).
Whole Foods was a prominent retail partner for National Cider Month The grocery chain partnered with local and regional cider brands on displays and placements, following a conversation between Mary Guiver, Whole Foods global principal category merchant for beer, and Schilling leadership at the 2022 Brewbound Live business conference.
“In 2023, most non-beer categories have been struggling with YOY dollars and units comps, cider included,” Guiver said in a statement shared with Brewbound. “During National Cider Month, we saw cider go from the red to the black in terms of dollar and unit growth versus last year (as high as +13% and +11%, respectfully).
“Cider also became the top non-beer category for WFM [Whole Foods Market] in terms of dollars, ahead of flavor, kombucha, etc!” she continued. “This was led by the growth we saw specifically in local cider brands, as well as regional.”
However, the “biggest win” for cider has been sustained momentum beyond October, according to both Guiver and the Schilling team.
“Cider has remained in the black versus 2022 and remained in that top non-beer share of our dollars – all the way through Thanksgiving week,” Guiver said. “We are anticipating the growth to continue through the end of the year and beyond.”
Cider has increased dollar sales in Circana-tracked channels +1.8% year-to-date (YTD) and +2% over the last four weeks, ending December 3. The segment’s percentage growth in the four-week period was beaten only by the three beer segments that have dominated scans in 2023: imports (+13.7%), flavored malt beverages (+14.7% and non-alcoholic (+28.2%).
Schilling itself was expecting a decline in growth trends in November, but midway through the month the company was recording YoY gains of +35% in Circana-tracked channels, Phillips said. In the four-week period ending November 4, Schilling posted YoY dollar sales gains of +30.5% and volume gains of +30.3% in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels, according to data shared by 3 Tier Beverages.
The impact of National Cider Month also trickles into future retailer and distributor relationships, Phillips and Colin Schilling noted.
“More people are coming into the category, they’re seeing cider, it’s more prevalent, retailers that are leaning into cider are winning,” Phillips said. “So you’re gonna see some carryover from that. And we’re already seeing from national sentiment, they [retailers] said, ‘Well, let’s keep cider on the ad bucket. Let’s keep it because it’s winning, it’s happening. Why would we switch strategies midstream?’”
“We take the lead and show that it can work in the chains, and it can work in the data,” Schilling added. “But then the spillover effects, once distributors are bought in, is for everybody – even the smallest cidery – can capitalize on there being a drinking occasion and a focus occasion for cider.”
Phillips believes National Cider Month can be a “multiregional, or even national” program by 2025, with retailers preparing similar to other beer-related purchasing holidays, such as Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s Day, so the segment is on retailers “radar” and “they’re setting their ad bucket and their schematics aside so that cider will be featured in October.”
“We have such a strong selling story and it’s ultra premium, so we’re really in that sweet spot to capitalize, but distributors are still sleeping on it,” Schilling added.