A third (33%) of Irish consumers have, in the past year, increased the frequency with which they drink low- and no-alcohol alternatives (no/low) – outpacing any other category – when they are out in bars, pubs, restaurants, and other venues.
This is according to CGA by NIQ’s On-Premise User Survey (OPUS) research.
In terms of what people are seeking, 0.0% ABV no/low products are the most popular strength, with two thirds of on-premise visitors drinking the category.
Beer Is Most Popular
Beer is still the most popular no/low option when drinking out (50%), followed by mocktails (40%) and virgin cocktails (26%).
The research shows that 48% of consumers have tried new drinks or brands across all categories in the past three months.
‘Dry January’
“Dry January is continuing to gain momentum, year on year,” said Sian Brennan, client director, Ireland, at CGA.
“It’s accompanied by surging consumer preferences for no-/low-alcohol choices.”
Lifestyle Choices
The research shows that health continues to be an ever-growing motivation in terms of lifestyle choices, with three quarters of consumers claiming to lead a healthy lifestyle and 16% saying that it is more important to them that their drink is healthy than it was a year ago.
Consequently, no/low and soft drinks are picking up pace with these consumers.
Vital Trend
The study indicates that the 18- to 34-year-old age bracket is over-indexing (+1pp) for the category, and also for drinking more frequently (+4pp).
For these reasons, CGA suggests that no/low is a vital trend to leverage and engage the next generation of on-premise consumers.
‘Shifting Preferences’
“[The] OPUS outlines how to best tap into the demand for no/low alternatives and identifies core groups to appeal to,” said Brennan.
“Catering to their shifting preferences ensures broader appeal and captures the market of those prioritising no/low experiences.”
