The number of Australians drinking cordial in an average month has plummeted by an estimated one million since 2009, according to Roy Morgan Research, but soft-drink company Bickford’s has increased its customer base by 125 per cent.
In 2009, almost 35 per cent of surveyed Australians aged over 14 said they drank cordial at least once in an average four weeks. In 2016 the figure dropped to 26 per cent.
Cottee’s remains the leading cordial brand, but Roy Morgan studies indicate the brand experienced the greatest decrease in consumption among a consumer base increasingly likely to shy away from beverages perceived to be high in sugar. Cottee’s was consumed by an estimated 2.4 million Australians in an average four weeks in 2009, but the number has since dropped to around 1.8 million – a loss of 600,000 consumers a month.
Golden Circle slipped from 1.2 million to 1 million drinkers, while Schweppes cordial lost 150,000 consumers during the same period.
By contrast, the studies show Bickford’s Cordial has shot up from 622,000 consumers in any given four weeks to just over 1.4 million.
“Amid such a challenging market, Bickfords’ escalating popularity makes for a fascinating case study,” Roy Morgan Research Industry Communications Director Norman Morris said. “Since 2009, when it lagged behind Cottee’s by nearly 1.8 million consumers per four weeks, Bickford’s is fast closing the gap on the long-time category leader.”