WKD Blue tops RTD category

It’s blues galore in the top spots, with WKD Blue striding into first place followed by VK Blue in the Drinks List - top brands to stock in 2023.​

WKD is miles ahead of the crowd with a 317.6% uptick in volume sales from 10,752 hectolitres (HL) last year to 44,898 this year, as well as a 315.2% increase in value from £13.1m to £54.3m.

VK Blue steals in at second place with just under half the sales of WKD. The product has seen a 191.2% hike in volume sales from 7,798 HL last year to 22,707 HL this year, and a 305.7% rise in value from £9m to £27.6m. This has caused it to shoot up two spaces from last year’s list.

New entries

There are also two exciting new entries emerging into this year’s RTD category – WKD Iron Brew and VK Strawberry and Lime coming in at seventh and eighth place.

It’s been a tough year for Smirnoff Draught Passion Fruit Martini, which has plummeted down four rankings to ninth place. The product has seen a 39.1% drop in volume sales from 5,806 to 3,536 HL and a fall in value from £26.7m to £16.5m.

Soaring value

However, Smirnoff Ice Red and VK Orange and Passionfruit both had a happy year. While the Smirnoff has been knocked down a spot into third place, it has seen a 111.8% boost in volume sales from 9,405 HL in the previous year to 19,920 HL this year. What’s more, the product’s value has risen from £26.3m to £11.6m – an increase of 127.7%.

VK Orange and Passionfruit, which shot up two spaces from sixth to fourth position, experienced the largest increase in volume and value sales across the board. The product saw a whopping lift from 5,351 HL in volume sales to 15,824 HL (195.7%), and a £13m hike in value from £6m to £19m.

Hooch and VK Tropical Fruits also crept up two places respectively into fifth and sixth place.

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• All data provided by CGA for the 12 months to 8 October 2022