All Other Environments

Soft Drinks can be enjoyed by anyone, on any occasion. Their popularity and versatility means they can be bought and consumed across numerous environments throughout the day. Here's a brief look at some of these.

Grocery Convenience

Grocery Convenience includes smaller sized Grocery formats including Tesco Express, Sainsbury's Local, Co-op stores, Marks and Spencer and sophisticated symbol chains. These outlets are geared towards a 'top-up' shopping mission and generally are more skewed towards more affluent and female shoppers.¹

Supermarket Front of Store

Usually and suitably located as you enter a large supermarket, these outlets are designed to provide a convenience offering that compliments the main household shopping mission of the foodhall. Here you can find Tobacco, Lottery, Soft Drinks and Sandwich Chillers, Newspapers and Confectionery - all items that shoppers want to pick up quickly. Soft Drinks are often purchased for 'on-the-go' refreshment, and are often bundled into meal deals at lunchtime.

Online

More and more shoppers are using the internet for their grocery shop. This virtual shopping environment allows shoppers to browse and select products and then save a personal basket for repeat purchases at a later date.

The ease of shopping from the comfort of their own homes is made even more appealing as the goods are delivered to their door at a later date.

Food-to-Go

Outlets in this environment are typically specialist sandwich retailers or independent bakeries and chains focused on providing food and drink to people on the move. They include Boots, Prêt a Manger, Subway and Greggs.

These outlets are busiest primarily at lunchtimes but also in the morning.² They cater towards time-pressed workers on their way to work or enjoying a break from the office during lunch. Soft Drinks can be purchased on their own or as is more often the case, as part of a meal deal.

Fast Food

Serving food and drink to order from a pre-set menu is the hallmark of these outlets. The environment ranges from the big Fast Food chains operating eat-in restaurants to small independent take-away outlets on almost every local high street.

Key missions here include convenient meal solutions with at least 20% of the population enjoying Fast Food at least once a fortnight.³ Soft Drinks are usually combined within a meal offering of some description.

Restaurants

This environment encapsulates a wide variety of outlets ranging from fine-dining venues to some pubs (if greater than 50% of their sales come from food).

The defining characteristic of a restaurant is that food and drink is bought for immediate consumption on the premises. Customers are normally served at a table, and pay after having their meal. Soft Drinks are usually consumed alongside the main meal - 51% of food orders contain a Soft Drink of some description.⁴

Bulk Buying (Route to Market)

Bulk buying covers two distinct shopper and outlet propositions.

The first are club wholesalers like Costco. Shoppers usually pay an annual membership fee to purchase personal household supplies at discounted rates through the depot.

The second is the Cash and Carry, where a retailer or caterer purchases items for sale to an end consumer. Soft Drinks are a key category within the Cash and Carry. They are the most common category in shoppers' baskets as well as the most common category bought on impulse.⁵

Concessions

Concessions include a variety of formats falling under the 'out-of-home entertainment' umbrella. These primarily include cinemas, theme parks and resorts and are normally designed to provide a fun, social occasion for the whole family. Soft Drinks are normally served as part of set menus but can also play a role in offering refreshment 'on-the-go'.

Café / Coffee Shop

The café, coffee shop or teahouse is an environment that focuses on beverage service - primarily coffee and other hot drinks. It will also usually have a basic food and drink offering. They vary in size from the basic kiosk serving coffee to people on the move, to full sized coffee shops with tables where people can relax and eat and drink on the premises.

General Store

General Store consists mainly of outlets that are either general merchandise stores, including the likes of Wilkinsons and Poundland, and specialist retailers like butchers and garden centres. General Stores are places where the Soft Drinks offering will be very basic, if on offer at all.

Vending

Vending is all about vending machines. These machines can be located in numerous locations, usually where people will easily see them, and allow Soft Drinks to be purchased in locations where they may not otherwise be available. E.g. workplaces, sports centres and shopping malls.

If you need further information on any of these environments, please contact your local Coca-Cola Enterprises representative.

¹Walkabout Research, Kantar Worldpanel, 2009
²NPD Group / Crest Research, 52 Weeks to December 2009
³Walkabout Research, Kantar Worldpanel, 2009
⁴NPD Group/Crest Research, 52 Weeks to June 2009
⁵HIM, Cash and Carry Programme, 2009