Armagh Cider See Sharp Growth In Sale From Amazon Listing
Northern Ireland’s Armagh Cider Company has seen online sales in Britain soar from a deal with Amazon for its award-winning ciders, mixers and other soft drinks shortly before the Covid-19 virus outbreak. The listing has led to the company supplying its ciders to customers at the heart of England’s orchard country.
Owned by Phillip and Helen Troughton on their apple farm, Armagh Cider is now one of Ireland’s biggest producers of ciders and soft drinks including its successful and innovative Orchard Twist, a crafted non-alcoholic, lightly sparkling applejuice with a twist of flavours. Orchard Twist is a natural drink with no added sugars, no artificial flavours or colours that’s also gluten free and can be counted as one of a five-a-day health regime.
Mark Troughton, Armagh Cider’s marketing manager, describes the listing for the company’s products in Amazon as “an immensely important and very timely deal particularly in Britain”. “We hadn’t been very active online until the virus led to the closure of the pubs, hotels and restaurants which were major customers especially for our range of mixers and ciders,” he says.
The company, a leading innovator in the local beverage industry, had been talking to Amazon for some time before the outbreak and had just signed a listing for our products. “While we are still supplying ciders to supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s and off sales in Northern Ireland, the Amazon listing has enabled us to develop very significant business in Britain, a market we’ve been targeting for many years. And it’s also shown us the tremendous potential of online sales there.
“We are now shipping, on average, more than 10 cases a day to Amazon for customers in many parts of Great Britain. As a result of the agreement, our online business has grown by more than 25 percent in the past month,” Mark adds. It is offering free delivery for orders placed through its online shop.
The company, Northern Ireland’s oldest processor of ciders from its own apples, is lining up the launch of several new products include cloudy lemonade and a four-strong range of tonics in larger 500ml bottles. The four flavours are orange, lemon, raspberry and cucumber and lime. The new natural products are developed in-house and free from preservatives and additives. The mixers are marketed under the Raising Spirits label.
“Innovation has always underpinned our business and has seen us diversify from producing award-winning cider, sparkling and still apple juice and cider vinegar to now include an extensive range of mixers and fruit infused sparkling waters. This is the way we stay ahead in our highly competitive business,” adds Mark.
The Troughton family has been growing apples there for five generations since 1898. The first cider was introduced in January 2006 as ‘Carsons Cider’. The small farm-based company has since gained a host of awards including UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann.
