MODERATION HITS THE Mainstream

Can you believe as many consumers moderated their alcohol income this summer than in ‘Dry January’? KAM’s recent report, in partnership with Lucky Saint, found that moderation of alcohol is now a year-round habit. January is famous as the month of the year where millions of drinkers cut down their alcohol and this year for the first time the same number of UK adults planned to moderate their alcohol during the summer. Moderation has hit the mainstream!

There has been a significant fall in the number of UK adults consuming alcohol at least once a week, with the figure at 76.9% (down from 90% in 2022). This equates to a drop of 6.8m people drinking weekly, with all age groups reporting a decline in overall alcohol consumption. Within the 18-24 age group the figure has fallen fastest, from 91% in 2022 down to 72% this year. This coincides with a whole raft of new consumers entering the low and no category in the last year, with 9.7m UK adults (19% of UK adults) trying low and no alcohol beer for the first time.

More than a third (37%) of Ireland’s consumers buy no/ low alcohol drinks more frequently than they did a year ago. CGA by NielsenIQ’s research, January 2023

Moderation has most certainly hit the mainstream and its part of a bigger shift in how we, as a nation, are spending our leisure time. We now see a modern consumer where socialising is not centred around drinking culture, who is more aware of the risks of alcohol, and therefore is pro-actively taking action to ensure that they are drinking at what they consider to be responsible levels.

But consumers don’t want to miss out on all the occasions where alcohol is normally present, going to the pub with friends, celebrating a birthday at home, enjoying a beer while watching sport, for example. The increasing number of low alcohol or alcohol-free options available is therefore being welcomed with open arms.

Despite this long-term growth in low or alcohol-free occasions, hospitality venues are still at risk of losing customers, by giving them an underwhelming experience and not maximising potential sales on these low or alcohol-free occasions due to poor range and visibility. The report also shows that as people turn towards alcohol-free options, with more than 1 in 3 pub and restaurant visits alcohol-free, availability of quality alcohol-free options is more important than ever. 3.7 million Brits ruled out a specific venue in the last 3 months alone due to poor alcoholfree options, totalling a missed opportunity of £590.4m in revenue across a year for hospitality venues.

9.7M UK ADULTS

During a recent chat with Luke Boase, founder of Lucky Saint, he highlighted that “whilst the low and no market continues to see tremendous growth, the opportunity for the UK remains significant. We trail behind many European nations in how we embrace low and no, with the likes of Spain, Germany and Sweden having larger market shares for low and no consumption compared to the UK.”

Venues must ensure they stay ahead of the curve, or they risk becoming less relevant for many potential customers. Socialising is slowly becoming less booze-driven.