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Most consumers say it's acceptable to drink no or little alcohol when they go out but some choose to drink alcohol because of social stress, according to research by Heineken and the University of Oxford.
The study, based on an Ipsos survey of 11,842 adults in the UK, US, Spain, Japan and Brazil, found that 68 per cent have tried non-alcohol or low-alcohol alternatives and 80 per cent believe they drink. it was more acceptable than it was five years ago.
However, among those who drink alcohol at least once or twice a year, half of them said that at social events they “always” or “sometimes” drink alcohol despite having the intention of having little or no alcohol choices.
The report's author, Charles Spence, professor of psychiatry at Oxford University said: “Reports from people suggesting they want to try non-alcoholic alternatives do not always translate into sales.
“Although people who don't drink alcohol are more acceptable. . . It's clear that people sometimes face judgment from others about their choice of non-alcoholic beverages,” he added.
Research has identified a number of challenges in no- and alcoholic beverages category, including price relative to alcoholic beverages, expected taste and social factors.
Of the 68 percent who tried low or no alcohol, the largest group was Gen Z at 73 percent, followed by the baby boomer generation at 58 percent.
However, Gen Z (aged up to 27) also felt the most social pressure to drink alcohol, the survey found, with more than a third of respondents in this age group saying they felt pressured to do so in social situations.
About 21 percent of Gen Z consumers surveyed said they were “called” to choose a non-alcoholic beverage, compared to an average of 15 percent for all age groups.
Among Gen Z, the survey found that men are more susceptible to social pressure than women, with 38 percent saying they would only drink alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks when their friends did and 30 percent saying they felt the need to justify themselves. choice.
Among Gen Z women, 35 percent said they would only have alcoholic drinks if their friends did.
The level of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks has increased over the past five years as people focus more on healthy living.
Major brewers including Heineken and AB InBev have invested heavily in advertising and product launches to capitalize on the trend, creating a new market for brewers as beer consumption has slowed. According to beverage data provider IWSR, global beer volumes are set to decline by 1 percent by 2023.
The non-alcoholic and low-alcohol category is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 4 percent each over the next four years in the sector's top 10 markets. Alcohol-free products alone are expected to grow at a rate of 7 percent.
Heineken says its Heineken 0.0 alcohol-free beer has a market share of 18 percent. Sales of the brand grew by 14 percent in the first half of 2024, compared to the overall growth in beer sales of the group of 2.1 percent.
Spence said consumers in the five countries surveyed had moved beyond the “curiosity” phase to a “balanced pattern” of drinking alcoholic and low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beverages, due to the latter's increased availability and improvements in taste. .