Fab? Hardly

As FABs continue to fade, seldom has a category been more inappropriately named

The Alcopop (Flavoured Alcoholic Beverage or FAB) category continues to decline, as existing consumers leave
the category without being replaced by a new generation of young buyers. As they have limited appeal to more mature audiences, this means that the only hope for recovery is to convince young adults that the category is right for them. However, previous phenomenal success has perhaps made that task more difficult, as even younger consumers are aware of alcopops and no longer see them as aspirational. This leads to a constant need for reinvention to create a new form of appeal – especially important for consumers who are very image-conscious and therefore more likely than most to avoid any brands which they feel are “uncool”.

The downward trend, however, is not universal. London, Scotland and the Northeast are seeing much slower decline  than average, while in Lancashire the category is actually in growth, however slightly. Some brands are also achieving growth – WKD and Carribean Twist being the most significant.

The majority of retailers are undertrading in alcopops, which is unlikely to be a major concern. Tesco and Asda, by contrast, are gaining share as they lose sales less rapidly than their rivals.

The top 10 brands by popularity are largely stable, with WKD and Carribean Twist gaining position. This stability has to be seen in the context of absolute penetration losses even while relative position in the market remains unchanged.

db  April 2006

TNS is a leading global provider of market information. We provide research, advice and insight on market segmentation, advertising and communications, new product development and brand performance. The TNS Worldpanel data is based on our continuous panel of 20,000 households. TNS tracks the alcohol purchases across all major grocery multiples and co-ops. For further information, please contact David Buckley, business director for TNS Worldpanel on 020 8967 1513