The fall in sales of C&C’s Magners cider in Britain slowed during the four weeks to March 22nd, according to Davy stockbrokers, citing figures from market researcher ACNielsen.
Davy said the quantity of Magners sold in UK shops fell 3.5 per cent in the period, compared with a 7.8 per cent decline in February and a 13.3 per cent fall in January.
In a trading statement in March, C&C said it expected to report a 9 per cent decline in overall revenues for the year to the end of February when full-year results are published on May 8th.
This is largely as a result of lower cider sales, with a volume decline of 15 per cent for Magners in the UK and 4 per cent for Bulmers in Ireland expected.
According to the Davy research note, the off-trade cider category continues to grow at a faster rate than the off-trade market.