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Andy Rennie

Last year the sun went away... so people stopped drinking cider

Irish ciders Bulmers and Magners had a tough 2014.

THE C&C GROUP, the company behind Bulmers cider, hasn’t lost confidence in its key brands despite big slides in sales last year.

The company’s income from the top-selling cider brand in Ireland dropped 7.5% over the 12 months to the end of February, while in the UK its Magners label suffered an even heavier fall.

The decline in C&C’s Irish business came after what it described as the one-off effect of an “exceptional” summer on Irish cider sales in 2013.

However the company said it had been spending up on marketing and its “not a moment too soon” campaign had “resonated exceptionally well” with its target audience.

In England and Wales, it plans to cut costs for its Magners business after sales of the cider brand plunged 14.1% by volume.

Consumer affinity for the brand remained strong with the brand regaining number one in premium apple cider in the off-trade,” the company said. “However, economically the existing business model is not tenable.”

Budget 2007 Peter Byrne / PA Peter Byrne / PA / PA

The bigger picture

Overall, the company reported its total operating profit was down 9.2% to €115 million despite net revenue going up 10.3% to almost €684 million for the year.

Scotland, where C&C sells Tennent’s Lager among other brands, was one of the star performers with net revenue up a massive 61%.

C&C C&C Group C&C Group

That was despite the “challenging” trading conditions for the last three months of the financial year after the introduction of stricter drink-driving rules.

C&C CEO Stephen Glancey said the company’s core businesses in Ireland and Scotland – which delivered the vast majority of profits – had delivered “modest” growth in the year.

We continued to make progress towards our objective of building leading brand-led distribution businesses in both of these regions,” he said. “This model reinforces the sustainability of our earnings and cash generation capability which, in turn, drives our ability to create and sustain value for shareholders.”

READ: A century ago Irish whiskey dominated the world – so what happened? >

READ: The economic recovery means Irish people are drinking more >

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35 Comments
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    Mute TheLoneHurler
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    May 13th 2015, 1:47 PM

    I thought last year was very sunny, a warm summer overall. Perhaps C&C might look at it’s pricing as a reason for it’s brands performing poorly?

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    Mute Hermes
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    May 13th 2015, 3:37 PM

    Wait till they get their water bill !
    Last year was one of the sunniest on record here – I can’t figure out that headline …

    66
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    Mute Ed Westwick
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    May 13th 2015, 4:53 PM

    Orchard Thieves hitting the market is also likely to eat into its market share.

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    Mute men in black hoods
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    May 13th 2015, 4:57 PM

    The sun was as good last year if not better then 2013. I think €5 for a bottle is the issue.

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    Mute Hermes
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    May 13th 2015, 5:06 PM

    The issue is that all the pubs are closing …. no points of sale with craic then alcohol is such a demonic waste of time !

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    Mute John
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    May 13th 2015, 7:54 PM

    You’ll pay a fiver for a longneck but maybe €6 for a large bottle. I can’t understand people buying longnecks when you can get double the amount for an extra euro or so. People need to be smarter with their money. A bummers is a lovely drink in the summertime but don’t over indulge. Very rough hangover from it.

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    Mute Pearse Mc Mullen
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    May 13th 2015, 1:55 PM

    Bulmers Cider was possibly the most popular and well known brand of cider in the Irish market for a long long time,
    But with it`s popularity came a price, It has been priced out of the reach of most people who like what originally was a simple drink.
    Now averaging @ 5.50 – 6.50 per pint bottle, it has clearly gone away from being the working mans summer tipple.
    My local bar (neighbourhood bar) is at the 5.50 per pint bottle price, I can only imagine what it is in the likes of the city centre.
    This is the reason for the drop in sales, nothing to do with the weather or whatever C&C would have us believe.

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    Mute Hermes
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    May 13th 2015, 3:38 PM

    A friend iof mine stayed drinking bulmers until he got a bit of an ulcer – He drinks guinness – sorry Diageo now – you know it the black French stuff they make in Dublin !

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    Mute Bill Rooney
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    May 13th 2015, 4:03 PM

    herpes – humour doesn’t work for you, remember?

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    Mute Bill Rooney
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    May 13th 2015, 4:15 PM

    and french? diageo is a uk company, created by the guinness and grand metropolitan merger in 1997.

    23
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    Mute Hermes
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    May 13th 2015, 4:21 PM

    So the brits own Guinness – no wonder you’re out to bat for them William ….
    Tell derbylight the missus has given the redlight on me finding out it’s name ….
    I shall of course be using two channels !
    laugh at that !

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    Mute Will Derbylight
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    May 13th 2015, 5:07 PM

    Ryan. Bernie is better – scratching less?

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    Mute Spiderman
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    May 13th 2015, 1:53 PM

    Dear Bulmers,

    I hear on the journal that ye have a problem with no one drinking your cider due to the sh*te weather. I’m willing to help. Simply send a couple of crates to me and I personally guarantee that no bottle shall be left standing.

    Yours sincerely,
    Spidey

    152
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    May 13th 2015, 1:51 PM

    Have people really stopped drinking cider, or have they just switched to the eight billion other superior or cheaper or interest ciders that have come out over the last few years?

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    May 13th 2015, 1:52 PM

    *interesting

    26
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    Mute Barry Aston
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    May 13th 2015, 1:40 PM

    Are C&C just changing the date on the reports? It’s the same line each year.

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    Mute Ken McCarthy
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    May 13th 2015, 1:46 PM

    Step 1 – Drink Cider (it tastes like Cidona)

    Step 2 – Force your tastebuds to like other alcoholic beverages.

    Step 3 – Remember the good auld days of drinking cider.

    80
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    Mute Will Derbylight
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    May 13th 2015, 1:47 PM

    Sober up Ken – soon…

    36
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    Mute Ken McCarthy
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    May 13th 2015, 1:51 PM

    What’ll ya have? Hic!

    20
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    Mute Random_paddy
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    May 13th 2015, 2:20 PM

    I have a drinking problem. I love Bulmers but I can’t afford to drink it.

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    Mute Dan
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    May 13th 2015, 2:27 PM

    Its the price lads not the weather. I wont pay over a fiver for a pint of anything which means il eventually have to drink that Protestant stuff from Dublin exclusively.

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    Mute Matthew Lysaght
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    May 13th 2015, 3:21 PM

    Had some McIvors Cider recently and oddly enough it tasted like apples, unlike the orange slops that Bulmers peddle.

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    Mute Diarmuid O'Connor
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    May 13th 2015, 4:03 PM

    The cheap aldi and lidl ciders are selling well, must be a price thing.

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    May 13th 2015, 4:09 PM

    It’s not too bad at €3.79 for 2 litres dermo.

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    Mute Sheik Yahbouti
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    May 13th 2015, 2:53 PM

    I just want to record my highest commendation to Mr. Denis O’Brien (since I can’t comment on any thread actually associated with him). A man who has the courage to take up the cudgels on behalf of an embattled minority – i.e., the ten per cent or so who are billionaires – someone has to speak up on behalf of these unfortunates and it gives me special pride to know that their champion hails from our own Island. Well done, DOB.

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    Mute Resel
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    May 13th 2015, 3:03 PM

    Might be due to their adverts. They always show people drinking outside at bbq with ice.

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    Mute Gerard Ryan
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    May 13th 2015, 2:16 PM

    Surely they’re taking a hammering from your Rekorderlings and Brothers ciders or whatever they’re called.

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    Mute Vincent Wallace
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    May 13th 2015, 5:21 PM

    Price is too high simple as. Bulmers cider year s ago was a cheep wino s drink or summer drink for normal folk. Now they charge 5 euro if your lucky I got charged 6.50 once.

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    Mute Peter M Buchanan
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    May 13th 2015, 5:13 PM

    BS alert…. Weather was pretty good in 2014

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    Mute Graham Murphy
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    May 13th 2015, 5:55 PM

    Bulmers is utter shite, thats why sales are down. Orchard thieves is not a bad alternative for a mainstream cider.Instead try Stonewell cider

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    Mute Maurice Dancer
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    May 13th 2015, 7:55 PM

    Bulmers is horrible sugary shit.

    12
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    Mute james comiskey
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    May 13th 2015, 3:08 PM

    Dan Kelly’s is a vastly superior product in my opinion

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    Mute Anto Mahon
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    May 13th 2015, 6:50 PM

    I enjoy drinking cider 4 times a year Spring,Summer,Autumn, and Winter.

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    Mute Ciaran Smith
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    May 13th 2015, 10:47 PM

    Stonewell Craft Irish Cider now that’s real Irish Cider .
    Cheers

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    Mute thomas mitchell
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    May 13th 2015, 11:25 PM

    Orchard thieves the new cider………..
    fresh

    3
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