Vimto update

Its sales are up 28.3% year on year, making it the UK's fastest growing soft drinks brand. The brand has doubled in size in five years and grown for the past 20 consecutive months. Vimto is growing across both the Carbonates and Dilutes categories (a 32% increase in Carbonates and a 31.4% increase in Dilutes) and is the fastest growing brand in each of those categories. In Grocery Multiples, the Vimto brand is now worth £37.8m, growing at a rate of 31.3%, and in Impulse, the Vimto brand is now worth £14.9m, growing at a rate of 21.6%. Cherry Vimto has added £2.2m to the Vimto brand since its launch at the beginning of 2010 and has attracted new consumers to the brand. Growth from Cherry has been largely incremental with almost no cannibilisation of the parent brand and 61% of its sales has led to incremental growth in the category. Vimto brand penetration is now at 17.8%, which equates to 4.5m households in the UK and is a YOY growth of 24.5%. 1 litre bottles of Vimto and Cherry Vimto will be available exclusively in Poundland from this month with a £1 PMP, or three bottles for £2. Neil Gibson, head of marketing for Vimto Soft Drinks, said: "We are experiencing another incredibly good year at Vimto Soft Drinks with major distribution gains and growth in our operating categories. "However, we are constantly striving to be bigger and better and are currently working hard on our exciting plans for next year. We have major growth plans and will continue to invest in all of our brands, including increased marketing spend for Vimto and further trade activity for Sunkist." Sources: Nielsen Total Coverage MAT 04.09.10; *Nielsen, Top 25 soft drinks brands MAT 04.09.10 (**Top 10), ***Kantar Worldpanel MAT 05.09.10