Cottee’s hits back at cordial claims

CORDIAL lovers, you can relax. Cottee’s has hit back at claims sales of the iconic drink are collapsing as Aussies abandon sugar.

Cottees cordial. Picture: Cottees

CORDIAL lovers, you can relax.

As Mark Twain once said: reports of Cottee’s death are greatly exaggerated.

That is, according to Cottee’s. The cordial company has hit back at claims sales of the iconic drink are collapsing as Aussies abandon sugar.

Yesterday, news.com.au reported on Nielsen data revealing a dramatic and accelerating decline in cordial sales, particularly among under 35s.

According to Nielsen Homescan, cordial sales in the $164 million category declined by 5.8 per cent by value and 11.2 per cent by volume in the year to October 2015.

Sales eroded at a much higher rate than the previous year, when sales fell 4.1 per cent by value and just 1.6 per cent by volume. Household penetration had also fallen to 53.7 per cent, down from 58.7 per cent in 2013.

In a response on Wednesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for Schweppes said Cottee’s had been an iconic Australia brand since 1927 and “we plan on being around much longer to provide the cordials that Aussies know and love”.

Schweppes puts the “mainstream cordial” market in Australia at $110 million, saying Cottee’s makes up $62 million of that.

“We are still making Cottee’s cordial here in Melbourne and we have no plans to stop being Australia’s number one cordial,” she said. “Cottee’s cordial makes up almost six out of every 10 glasses of mainstream cordial enjoyed by Australians.

“Cottee’s cordial recognises the trend for consumers to select healthier foods and beverages. Cottee’s provides a range of choices for consumers with classic fruit and flavoured, no added sugar, and sugar free varieties.

“Cottee’s cordial provides consumers with the option to customise their beverages, enjoying a little bit of sweetness and flavour, made to their own personal liking. Cottee’s intends to be a part of family celebrations for Australians for many years to come.

“We appreciate the loyalty of our Aussie consumers and thank them for getting behind the brand and sharing their overwhelmingly positive comments. We are committed to this iconic brand and continuing to invest behind Cottee’s cordials.”

Yesterday, consumers were split on the news. Some blamed the reduction in packaging size from 2L to 1L, while others said changes to the flavour had turned them off.

“Cottee’s killed themselves by changing to smaller more concentrate bottles that changed the flavour,” wrote one reader.

“Turning away from Cottee’s as the price is way too much,” wrote another. “This along with the reduced bottle size is what has turned a lot of shoppers off. It is no longer value for money.”

Another reader said that most cordials, with the exception of no-frills brands, are now made with artificial sweeteners and “taste terrible”.

“Declining sales aligns pretty well to the move to artificial sweeteners rather than sugar and ultra-concentrated cordials,” they wrote. “Next time focus on what consumers want rather than just short term return on investment.”

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