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Removing pint glasses boosts wine sales
Pubs that experimented with reducing the size of glassware saw a drop in beer and cider sales but an increase in wine revenue, according to a new study.
The findings from a recent study by Cambridge University showed that reducing the size of glassware from a pint would cut beer consumption but also boost wine sales.
The research looked at buying behaviour across 13 English pubs over a month when owners switched from serving pints to two-thirds of a pint. Despite beer and cider sales dropping by nearly 9.7%, the data showed there was an overall increase in wine sales by 7.2%.
The researchers went on to suggest that smaller measures for beer could potentially be an effective way to reduce alcohol consumption across Britain.
Professor Theresa Marteau, director of the behaviour and health research unit at the University of Cambridge, explained: “Removing the offer of pints in 13 licensed premises for four weeks reduced the volume of beer sold. This is in keeping with the emerging literature showing that smaller serving sizes help us drink less and presents a novel way of reducing alcohol consumption and improving population health.”
However, despite these claims, what the study does not take into account is that reducing beer drinking volume is not the same as reducing alcohol intake overall. Noted by the evidence that showed that the pubs saw an uptick in wine sales instead of beers and ciders, illustrating how the consumer may be reducing their glassware size, but still migrating to higher alcohol products.
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If the glasses are smaller for beer and larger people will just drink stronger alcohol like wine amd sprits so this thought it will reduce alcohol consumption is stupid
No-one heard of half pints that are already freely available??
You also have to take in to account the type of establishment you trial this in if you take social clubs across the country and tied house take may be free of tie for purchasing wine and if the pub company are going to lose beer volume because of the smaller glass size they will want the wine to replace the volumes.
If beer consumption is reduced by 9.7% but wine consumption is increased by 7.2%, exactly how much is overall alcohol consumption reduced Professor?
To be fair it probably will still reduce overall alcohol consumption as even more pubs are driven to closure.