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Most consumers say it's okay to drink non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks when they go out, but some choose alcohol anyway due to social pressure, according to research by Heineken and the University of Oxford.
The study, based on an Ipsos poll of 11,842 adults of a range of ages in the UK, US, Spain, Japan and Brazil, found that 68% had tried no- or low-alcohol alternatives, and 80% of them thought drinking them was more acceptable than it was. It was five years ago.
However, among those who drank alcohol at least once or twice a year, half said that at social occasions they “always” or “sometimes” drank alcohol despite their intention to drink low- or no-alcohol options.
“Reports from people indicating a desire to try non-alcoholic alcoholic beverages do not necessarily translate into increased sales,” said report author Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford.
“Despite the growing acceptance of non-drinkers…it is clear that people still sometimes face social judgment from others regarding their choice of non-alcoholic beverages,” he added.
The research identified a number of challenges facing Non-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks Category, including price compared to alcoholic beverages, taste expectations and social factors.
Of the 68 percent who tried low- or no-alcohol beverages, the largest age group was Generation Z at 73 percent, followed by baby boomers at 58 percent.
However, the research found that Generation Z (up to 27 years old) also felt the most social pressure to drink alcohol, with more than a third of participants in this age group saying they felt pressure to do so in social situations.
About 21 percent of Gen Z consumers surveyed said they were “called” to choose a non-alcoholic drink, compared to an average of 15 percent across all age groups.
Among Generation Z, the survey found that men were more vulnerable to social pressure than women, with 38 percent saying they would only drink low- or no-alcohol drinks if their friends did so, and 30 percent saying they would feel the need to justify it. choice.
For Gen Z women, 35% said they wouldn't drink low-alcohol unless their friends did.
The no-alcohol or low-alcohol beverage category has boomed in the past five years as people become more focused on healthy living.
Major beer companies, including Heineken and AB InBev, have invested heavily in advertising and product launches to capitalize on the trend, which has created a new market for brewers as beer consumption slows. According to beverage data provider IWSR, global beer volumes will shrink by 1 percent in 2023.
Meanwhile, the no or low alcohol category is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4 percent over the next four years in the segment's 10 key markets. Alcohol-free products alone are expected to grow at a rate of 7 percent.
Heineken says its non-alcoholic beer, Heineken 0.0, has a market share of 18 percent. The brand's sales grew by 14 percent in the first half of 2024, compared to the overall growth in the group's beer sales of 2.1 percent.
Spence said consumers in the five countries surveyed had moved beyond the stage of “sober curiosity” to a “more balanced pattern” of consuming alcoholic drinks and low- or no-alcohol drinks, thanks to the increasing availability of the latter and improvements in taste. .
