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Asda ups alcohol-free line as third of Brits plan for sober Christmas
Searches for the term ‘non alcoholic’ have risen by almost 50% in the run up to Christmas, Asda has found in a new survey, and the supermarket is expecting a 9% increase in sales within the category as it ups its no- and low-alcohol offering.
Sober curiosity appears to be on the rise at Christmas, with online supermarket Ocado reporting sales of sparkling wine, Nozeco, were up by 83% last year.
Research by Forbes Advisor found that a third of Brits are planning to stay sober during the festive season, citing the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and the desire to avoid the next day hangover.
Ryan Truswell, Asda craft beer and beer, wine, spirits gifting buyer, said: “At a time of year when we see a spike in customers shopping for alcohol alternatives, it’s important we can offer them an exciting option for their festive celebrations and expand our existing range to cover all drinks styles and customer favourites.”
It’s not just Christmas, however; it’s predicted that over 140,000 people took the month off drinking in Dry January or Sober October in 2022, and Waitrose set a precedent for UK supermarkets when it announced plans to give booze-free products 60% space in its shelves this August.
Estimated to be worth £255 million in 2022 according to market research firm Mintel, the no- and low-alcohol market shows no signs of slowing down. Last week, Lucky Saint announced the release of its alcohol-free hazy IPA, while wine brand Nice is launching a low ABV wine in January.
In an effort to keep up with brands dominating the space, retailers are increasingly looking to make their own lines of booze-free beverages, which explains Asda’s announcement.
As part of the promotion for the new range, the retailer has calculated that Santa consumed over 2.4 million units of alcohol last Christmas Eve, encouraging shoppers to instead leave out a no- or low-alcohol drink.
The new range, including the Extra Special Non-Alcoholic Red Berries Botanical Spirit Drink and the Extra Special Non-Alcoholic Dark Spiced Spirit Drink, will feature alongside its award-winning Extra Special Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc Low Alcohol Wine.