SWEDEN. Due to new lower Danish spirits taxes, operators such as HH-Ferries have been able to offer up to half price discount on Swedish domestic prices and new bulk-buy offers.
“We have seen an increase in turnover as high as +65% for this product group,” HH-Ferries onboard services manager (and former SAS Trading area manager) Christian Funch told The Moodie Report. “This has encouraged us to introduce the Buy 3 Bottles special offer, especially targeted at our Swedish passengers.”
Price savings on spirits are highlighted in a whole page in the operator’s latest winter 2004 catalogue and for example Johnnie Walker Red 50cl at SEK136.25 represents a -35% price saving on the Swedish state monopoly Systembolaget price; similarly -26% on Bacardi Limon 100cl, Svensk Vodka 100cl (-49%), Finlandia Vodka 100cl (-40%) and The Famous Grouse 100cl (-38%).
“Regarding beer sales, we have also experienced an increase,” said Funch. “And we now operate with three different prices for the same products: normal price, special price when buying four cartons and a super low price when buying ten cartons.”
For example for a case of 24 x 33cl Heineken Lager the single carton price is SEK173.75, with SEK161.25 each for four cartons and SEK154.87 for ten cartons. This compares to the Swedish Systembolaget price of SEK307.20. “You can understand why customers would want to carry ten cartons of beer from the shop to the car deck and make a saving of -50%,” added Funch.
HH-Ferries said it is also growing its mailing list to inform travellers about special offers onboard and its growing direct mail shopping service.
