Cider stretching influence outside the UK

Cider will grow around 5% annually to reach over three billion litres in 2020 thanks to the category strengthening its position in the US, Australia and South Africa, a market report has said.

Over the next five years, an additional 640 million litres of cider will be consumed worldwide, and although the UK will hold its position as the market leader in cider consumption, the country’s share in the global cider market is shrinking.

A market report by Canadean expects the UK’s market share to decline from 41% in 2015 to 33% in 2020, losing most of it to the US, Australia and South Africa, where nearly 70% of the additional 640 million litres of cider will be consumed.

The US cider market – the third largest in the world – will grow at an average annual rate of 12% between 2015 and 2020, compared to an average global growth rate of just 5%.

Rakhee Sturgess, an analyst behind the report, said, “The launch of new and innovative ciders will cause this growth, as will the introduction of cider to new regions in the US. More consumers will discover the beverage and change from beer and other flavoured alcoholic drinks to cider.

“Tradition and culture are important in the promotion of ciders and will increase demand for products from the UK,” he revealed.

Growth will also be strong in the Australian cider market, with an average annual growth rate of 12% between 2015 and 2020, the report said.

“Super premium fruit flavours of Scandinavian cider brands like Kopperberg and Rekorderlig are driving the increased consumption in Australia. But growth is also caused by the introduction of mass market brands like Somersby at a far lower price point than typical branded ciders,” said Sturgess.

Craft ciders are also growing in popularity, with more apple producers returning to their roots and producing small-scale artisanal ciders.