Popular cordial brand Cottee’s has held its position as Australia’s
leading cordial brand but only just as South Australian brand Bickford’s is hot on its heels, according to the latest market research from Roy Morgan.
Cottee’s was purchased by 30.7 per cent of cordial customers, down 4.6ppts from four years ago – and is now just ahead of Bickford’s which was bought by 27.2 per cent of cordial customers, up 3.4ppts from 2015.
“Over 4 million Australians buy cordial in an average four weeks and competition between Australia’s leading cordial brands has really intensified in recent years as traditional favourite Cottee’s is challenged by Bickford’s and Golden Circle Cordial,” Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, said.
Golden Circle Cordial has come up in the running with 20.2 per cent of consumers buying it in an average four weeks, up 3.7ppts from four years ago. Meanwhile, drinks giant Schweppes Cordial now sits just shy of 10 per cent.
The exclusive diet brand of cordial, Diet Rite, has shown marginal growth in the last five years with 5.9 per cent of cordial customers buying the brand, up from 5.1 per cent four years ago.
Cordial brands purchased in an average 4 weeks by cordial customers
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), April 2014 – March 2019. Base: Australians 14+ who have purchased cordial in the last 4 weeks, n=16,444.
Woolworths and Coles rivalry over cordial drinks
Roy Morgan reported that rival supermarkets Woolworths and Coles are in “a battle for a larger share of Australia’s cordial customers”. Woolworths private label cordials dropped marginally from 10.7 per cent four years ago to 9.5 per cent. While Coles private label cordials increased slightly from 8.2 per cent to 8.6 per cent.
Cordial drinks target market
Roy Morgan said that the success or failure of a cordial product depends on the consumers that it appeals to. Bickford’s primary customer base comes are high-end AB and C Socio-Economic Quintiles, while Cottee’s and Golden Circle Cordial attract the lower-end E and FG Socio-Economic Quintiles. O
Bickford’s is popular with Aussies living alone or living with their partners – but with no children. Cottee’s attracts Australians with partners with children and single parents.
“Each brand appeals in some way to different customer types, even behaviourally as seen with the various food attitudes and who agrees with them. Brands stand to win big when they identify under serviced customers, and the cordial market is no different, evidenced by the steady rise of diet cordials.”
