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On-trade sales of no and low options rise by 48%
Sales of no and low alcohol drinks in the on-trade have risen by 48% to around £60 million, according to the CGA’s latest report.
Watermelon fruity cocktail mocktail drink decorated with cubes of fresh watermelon and rosemary
Data from the research and data company shows the no and low alcohol category has seen sales soar in recent months, driven by an 80% rise in alcohol free options.
Its new report, which is based on BrandTrack survey of the habits and views of 5,000 British adults, showed that a third of adults – around 15.5million people – have tried a no or low beer, wine or ‘spirit’ in the last six months, with more than half of that number (57%) calling it an “appealing” category.
It found that only 9% of those asked termed themselves as ‘teetotal’, showing the increasing flexible approach of consumers to non-boozy alternatives.
“A growing interest in health is one of the chief reasons why people steer clear of alcoholic drinks on occasions, and sizeable numbers say they experiment with no and low choices to see what they taste like,” the report said.
It also noted that there was headroom for growth, with CGA’s senior consumer research manager Charlie Mitchell arguing that there was “huge potential” for operators and suppliers to capitalise on the growing number of customers moderating their intake.
“With even more people likely to cut back on booze after the Christmas excesses, producers, operators and suppliers are queuing up to jump on the opportunity with an ever-increasing range of no and low alcohol alternatives,” he said. “The challenge will be to build loyalty and repeat trial in a market where it is increasingly hard to stand out.”
Low and no-alcohol serves have become a major force in the drinks industry in recent months, with a slew of new launches from drinks giants like Pernod Ricard to boutique distilleries in London but the data suggests that wine is lagging beers and ‘spirit’ alternatives. For more information on no and low trends to watch, see here: