Over the last five years, the proportion of Australians buying cordial has fallen dramatically, with one exception: Bickford’s cordial, according to Roy Morgan Research.
The researcher says if the trend continues, the brand may soon pose a threat to long-time market leader Cottee’s.
In the 12 months to June 2010, 31 per cent of Australians 14+ bought cordial in an average four-week period; by June 2014, this had decreased to 23.9 per cent.
Big-name brands such as Golden Circle, Extra Juicy and Cottee’s all lost buyers, while Coles cordial and Cascade saw slight increases.
Bickfords, in contrast, saw the number of Australians buying its products rise from 3.2 per cent to 5.5 per cent in the same time frame – an increase of 592,000 people.
People who buy Bickford’s are different to the ‘typical’ cordial buyer who tend to be young parents, living in households with low disposable cash.
Those who buy Bickford’s tend to be older, financially secure and living in childless households.
Angela Smith, group account cirector – Consumer Products, Roy Morgan Research, says: “In a declining cordial market, Bickford’s stands out for its continued growth in popularity. Even more notably, the people buying it do not fit the usual image of the ‘typical’ family-focused cordial buyer.
