Liquor Marketing Group (LMG) has revealed the launch of the 2022 footy season has led to strong sales results both in-store and online for its Bottlemart and SipnSave retail stores during the March promotional period.

Its ‘Brand in Hand’ activation aligned with the start of the 2022 NRL and AFL football seasons and was developed to generate strong sales performance for LMG’s member retailers and drive enhanced shopper engagement with the Bottlemart and SipnSave brands.

The promotion, run throughout the entire month of March, was a simple execution that asked shoppers to spend $60 or more to receive a free branded stubby cooler and enter the activation via the QR code to win a range of at-home entertainment prizes.

The successful campaign resulted in an overall like-for-like lift in dollar sales of +9% for the four weeks ending 29 March 2022 compared to the same period last year, and this was mirrored at category level with strong sales increases for beer (+7%), wine (+9%), RTDs (+17%) and spirits (+11%).

Increased consumer spend per transaction underpinned strong performance with 88% of all retail sales growth during this period attributed to transactions above $60. Online engagement was also at an all-time high with eCommerce sales up +67% in the promotional period versus year ago.

Damien Page, General Manager – Merchandising and Marketing for LMG, said: “With Easter falling earlier this year compared to last year, there were significant sales hurdles to overcome. We also had the challenge of cycling an extraordinary COVID-induced two-year growth number of +67% for March, so it was it was imperative that we executed a strong consumer activation to help our member retailers continue to grow.

“Sport has always been in the wheelhouse for Bottlemart and SipnSave, so there was a clear opportunity to develop a strong consumer activation linked to this occasion that was supported with compelling marketing, catalogues and upweighted digital platforms.

“The results have been fantastic – it’s the most successful brand campaign we have ever run. We are especially pleased with the online engagement. With refreshed consumer websites and apps for our eCommerce platforms just around the corner, building these consumer databases will provide LMG members even greater opportunities into FY23.”

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