Which brands are the biggest sellers in the major supermarkets and how have they performed over the past two years? Here’s NielsenIQ with the numbers

BEER

The big AB-Inbev brands dominate the top two spots, though it’s worth noting both have seen sizeable declines between the two time periods – despite the World Cup. Both Corona and Heineken have dropped a place since the previous year and there are only two beer brands in growth. Birra Moretti has seen marginal gains, while Kronenbourg 1664 is the only brand to see any significant growth. Of course, it’s possible these declines can be attributed to the post-Covid reset and the return of the on-trade.

CIDER

The top spots in supermarket cider are owned by Strongbow, though Dark Fruit is on the wane compared to a year ago. Henry Westons Vintage is the only established brand in the top 10 to show growth, up 5.4% on a year prior.  Meanwhile Heineken’s Inch’s, which launched in April 2021, has more than doubled its sales. Kopparberg’s flavours also make a double showing, demonstrating there is still room for fruit flavours in the cider aisle.

NB: THESE FIGURES WERE UPDATED ON 26/4/23, FOLLOWING NEW DATA FROM NIELSENIQ  

SPIRITS

Despite its general lack of column inches and trade excitement, vodka rules the roost by a country mile – and Diageo’s Smirnoff brand has grown its sales in the grocery multiples. The big blends dominate when it comes to Scotch whisky, while cream liqueur brand Baileys (also Diageo) has enjoyed a boost. Gordon’s (yep, Diageo) makes two appearances on the list, but both times we can see a decline in sales this year compared to a year ago. The gin category fatigue felt by the trade has perhaps now reached consumers.

STILL WINE

Yellow Tail has held fast at the top, though Hardys is now not too far behind, having overtaken Barefoot and McGuigan. Treasury Wine Estates’ 19 Crimes and Accolade’s Jam Shed have both experienced decent growth as big, fruity styles continue to resonate with supermarket shoppers.

SPARKLING WINE

When it comes to sparkling wine (excluding Champagne), Freixenet is ahead by quite some way, while the I Heart brand has overtaken both Martini and Valdo. Italy and Spain remain important sparkling producers, but at the bottom end of the list, there’s good news for English sparkling wine. Both Chapel Down and Nyetimber feature – and they are both in growth. Queen of Pop Kylie Minogue’s brand is also going from strength to strength, with sales increasing 75% in a year.