New Dairy Wines Generating Excitement Among Consumers, Exceeding Sales Expectations

The largest retail groups have reported that the new mild wines and strong beers available for sale in grocery stores have piqued the interest of customers. According to the K group, sales have exceeded expectations, while the S group is still evaluating the popularity of these products. The law change allowing the sale of alcoholic drinks with up to eight percent strength in grocery stores came into effect recently, leading to an increase in sales of mild wines and strong beers.

Kesko estimates that the market for alcoholic beverages with less than eight percent alcohol content in Finland is around 15 million euros and predicts significant growth in this market. The S group has noted that white wines and stronger lager beers have been particularly popular in their stores. However, both groups emphasize that it is too early to draw long-term conclusions about the sales trend of these new products.

The two-week sales period coincided with Midsummer week, which typically sees an increase in alcohol sales compared to a normal week. The S group reported an increase in the popularity of sparkling wines during Midsummer, while white wines remained the best-selling category. Both retail groups are closely monitoring the sales patterns of mild wines and strong beers to assess the overall impact of the law reform on their businesses.

Before the law reform, it was anticipated that smaller stores and those without Alko outlets would benefit from the sale of mild wines in grocery stores. The S group noted that sales volumes of stronger alcohol products were highest in units with higher grocery sales. Both groups are waiting for more data to analyze location-specific differences and trends in consumer behavior.