What do you think is the key consideration for wholesalers when selecting their Christmas stock?

The fantastic thing about soft drinks is that they will sell after Christmas, so while there is a seasonal spike, there’s no such thing as a ‘Christmas line’. As such, the key consideration is to make sure there is enough stock on the depot floor.

For wholesalers expanding beyond impulse into licensed lines, it’s important to stock up on soft drinks that enjoy a big boost during the festive party season – lines such as the new range of Britvic mixers and juices, and bag-in-box (syrups for draught soft drinks) are must-stocks. Wholesalers should also look to stock a range of soft drinks to take advantage of licensed and leisure outlets topping up from their local cash & carry, where a delivery from their usual licensed supplier may not be possible.

How does Britvic communicate advice to wholesalers at this time of year?

The couple of weeks at Christmas are our busiest time of the year, even beating the peaks we see during the hot weeks in summer. Considered communication is key as, due to the spike in sales and sales representative visits to a depot or an outlet, it’s easy for a depot or store manager to become overloaded. We put a lot of resource into gearing up our field sales coverage well in advance of Christmas, so the focus in December can be on availability on the shop floor – by then, everything else should be done.

We use research from him! and Nielsen to highlight the opportunities to the trade and help them focus on what makes a difference at this time of year.

How can wholesalers enhance their Christmas sales?