Suntory Global Spirits has touted “big plans for Jim Beam in 2027” following the launch of 35cl bottles for the American whiskey flagship in the UK.
Starting today (28 September), Jim Beam’s White Label bourbon and Pineapple and Black Cherry flavour extensions will be available in the smaller pack sizes in the country. The SKUs come in both standard and price-marked (pictured) packaging, with an SRP of GBP11.89 (US$15.74).
Citing Nielson data to qualify its claim that full-sized spirits are in decline while ‘fractionals’ (20-50cl bottles) are growing, Suntory Global Spirits said: “Within whisky, 53% of fractional sales take place in convenience, highlighting the growing relevance of smaller formats in the channel.”
The range will be available through UK convenience and wholesale operators including Booker, Bestway, Parfetts, United Wholesale and The Co-operative, with more retailers “to follow”.
“We’re seeing a real shift in how shoppers are buying spirits, and fractional formats are right at the heart of it,” said Suntory Global Spirits’ MD for the UK & Ireland, Nick Temperley. “For convenience and wholesale, where choice, price point and smart use of shelf space all matter, that shift is a big opportunity for us.
“Bringing Jim Beam into 35cl gives our retail partners another way to meet shoppers where they are, and it’s part of a much broader move across our portfolio to get the right formats in front of the right occasions.”
Speaking to Global Drinks Intel earlier this year, CEO Greg Hughes noted a slowdown in full-sized spirits consumption in the US. “In developed markets, most of the growth in beverage alcohol right now is in RTD, and that’s consumers moving towards flavour and convenience and the options that RTDs provide,” he said.
“There’s still a lot of growth available for full-bottle spirits. We’re just seeing that it’s a slower-moving category, so there’s a retrenchment of demand – and a recovery of consumer demand – driven by cost inflation and the overall macro markets and the structural and cyclical challenges that alcohol’s facing.
