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Most consumers say it is acceptable to have no- or low-alcohol drinks when they go out but some opt for alcohol anyway because of social pressure, according to research by Heineken and the University of Oxford.
The study, based on an Ipsos survey of 11,842 adults of a range of ages in the UK, US, Spain, Japan and Brazil, found that 68 per cent had tried no- or low-alcohol alternatives and 80 per cent believed that drinking them was more acceptable than it was five years ago.
Yet among those who drink alcohol at least once or twice a year, half said that on social occasions they “always” or “sometimes” drank alcohol despite intending to have low- or no-alcohol options.
“Reports from people suggesting that they want to try non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic drinks doesn’t necessarily always translate into increased sales,” said the report’s author, Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford.
“Despite a heightened acceptance of non-alcohol drinkers . . . it is evident that people still do sometimes face social judgment from others concerning their choice of non-alcoholic drinks,” he added.
The research identified a number of challenges for the no- and low-alcohol drinks category, including the price compared with alcoholic drinks, taste expectations and social factors.
Of the 68 per cent who had tried low- or no-alcohol drinks, the largest age group was Gen Z at 73 per cent, followed by the baby boomer generation at 58 per cent.
However, Gen Z (aged up to 27) also felt the most social pressure to drink alcohol, the research found, with more than a third of respondents in this age group saying they had felt pressure to do so in social situations.
About 21 per cent of the Gen Z consumers surveyed said they had been “called out” for choosing a non-alcoholic drink, compared with a 15 per cent average across all age groups.
Among Gen Z, the survey found that men were more susceptible to social pressure than women, with 38 per cent saying they would drink low- or no-alcohol drinks only if their friends did and 30 per cent saying they would feel the need to justify the choice.
For Gen Z women, 35 per cent said they would have low-alcohol drinks only if their friends did.
The no- and low-alcohol drink category has boomed in the past five years as people have become more focused on healthy living.
Big brewers including Heineken and AB InBev have invested heavily in advertising and product launches to capitalise on the trend, which has created a new market for brewers as beer consumption has slowed. According to drinks data provider IWSR, global beer volumes shrank 1 per cent in 2023.
The no- and low-alcohol category meanwhile is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 4 per cent over the next four years in the sector’s 10 key markets. Alcohol-free products alone are expected to grow at a rate of 7 per cent.
Heineken says its Heineken 0.0 alcohol-free beer has an 18 per cent market share. Sales of the brand grew 14 per cent in the first half of 2024, compared with overall growth in beer sales for the group of 2.1 per cent.
Spence said consumers in the five nations surveyed had moved beyond the “sober curious” phase to “a more balanced pattern” of consuming both alcoholic and low- or no-alcohol drinks, thanks to the growing availability of the latter and improvements in the taste.
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