Fosters ‘CoolKeg’ is due to be launched this month. It will provide at-home party entertainers with a convenient way to chill beers for their guests, enabling the brand to make inroads into the home entertaining market. Consumers are becoming increasingly willing to spend more on such occasions, although some may be put off by the high cost for a non-premium beer.
Scottish Courage, which handles the Fosters brand in the UK, is launching a self-cooling beer keg in selected UK supermarkets in June – in time for the summer barbecue season. The Fosters CoolKeg is capable of chilling the 35 pint contents within 60 minutes and keeping the beer cold for up to 12 hours thereafter.
The CoolKeg will initially be tested in a limited area before a nationwide rollout. It will retail at £49.95 with a £30 deposit that is refunded in full when the keg is returned – at which point the keg enters back into the supply chain to be refilled and resold. At £50 for 35 pints, the beer is not exactly cheap. However, consumers are becoming increasingly willing to spend more on entertaining at home.
The European home entertaining market was worth €101 billion to consumer companies in 2001 and Scottish Courage is clearly looking for innovative ways to gain share in this sector. Over 2 billion gatherings were held in private homes across Europe in 2001.
Dinner party culture has evolved over the last few years – gatherings have become more frequent and less formal. It is estimated that in the UK there will be 20 million more entertaining at home gatherings in 2006 compared to 2001.
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By GlobalDataThese occasions represent high spend moments in the food and drinks sectors as consumers increasingly use social gatherings to show off their homes, culinary skills and to have good time. Many consumers are keen that food and drinks look impressive or have some novelty to create a ‘wow factor’ for their guests.
The CoolKeg should certainly help at home entertainers to present their guests with a novel and convenient way to serve beer – particularly for those with limited fridge space for chilling beers. However, the high outlay for a non-premium beer product may put some off.
