Trends: Low and No Alcohol Great

IS ‘LOW AND NO’ THE WAY TO GO? LOW AND NO: THE LOWDOWN

With more people than ever choosing alcohol-free drinks when they go out, there’s a huge opportunity to grow sales and profits – and we have some fantastic deals this period to help you cash in on this growing trend.

Category awareness now at 95%

55% of UK adults drink less than 10 units per week (4 pints of beer)

25% will currently default to tap water in hospitality venues if they’re not drinking alcohol

Alcohol drinkers are the main buyers of nonalcoholic products

It wasn’t that long ago that the alcohol-free beer, wine or cider category was little more than a niche oddity – but times have changed and the world has moved on, bringing with it fresh opportunities to grow footfall, sales and profits. While the majority of customers still prefer a good, old-fashioned drink, an increasing number of consumers are turning to low and no alcohol products more often and that’s having a clear impact in the trade.

Low and no alcohol products have become a standard fixture in every pub, with the trend not showing any signs of waning.

HOW BIG IS IT?

So how big is the low and no opportunity in the on-trade? Well, nearly one-third of pub visits are now completely alcohol-free, according to new research by low-ABV producer Lucky Saint. This trend is particularly notable among younger customers. The survey found that some 65% of Gen-Z drinkers responded that they wanted to ‘moderate’ their alcohol consumption on a night out while 37% of UK adults drink alcohol-free products on a night out at least once a week.

“65% OF GEN-Z DRINKERS WANT TO ‘MODERATE’ THEIR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ON A NIGHT OUT.”

And while awareness levels of alcohol-free alternatives were historically pretty low, some 95% of the survey’s respondents said they recognised that no and low alcohol alternatives exist. The niche category, it seems, is well on the way to becoming mainstream.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

What may strike many as slightly surprising, however, is the fact that alcohol drinkers are actually the main buyers of non-alcoholic products. A YouGov study found those who class themselves as alcohol drinkers are the heaviest purchasers of non-alcoholic products, using them as alternatives to alcohol. The same study found that a significant 42% of non-drinkers have now tried low or no alcohol products and 14% are already semi-regular consumers.

YouGov also found that younger adults are more likely to drink low and no alcohol more often with ‘semi-regular’ consumers most likely to be aged between 35 and 44 years old. Even among those aged over 55, some 69% reported having tried a low or no alcohol product.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

With Christmas approaching fast, there’s a readymade opportunity on the horizon for venues. While the festive season has traditionally been regarded as a period of overindulgence in food and accompanying drink, it’s interesting to note that sales of alcoholfree drinks increased by 33.4% at Christmas last year – so it’s a perfect opportunity for operators to cash in.

popularity over the years. In 2022, an estimated 6.5 million planned to go alcohol-free according to the charity behind the initiative.

With such a huge opportunity, make sure you are well stocked up now with some low and no alcohol options from the category to see you through Christmas. And to help you do just that, we have some fantastic promotions running over the next few months on low and no alcohol lines.

Low and no alcohol beer promotions

HEINEKEN 0.0% DEAL P56

Buy any 4 cases of Birra Moretti, Heineken 5%, Sol, Despo or Heineken 0.0% and get a case of Heineken 0.0% free.

HEINEKEN SILVER POS WORLD CUP DEAL P56

Buy any 4 cases of Heineken 0.0%, Heineken 5% or Heineken Silver bottles and get a free Silver World Cup / football-themed POS kit worth £40.

PERONI DEAL

Buy any 3 cases of Peroni 0.0% 330ml, Peroni Nastro Azzurro or Peroni Gluten Free and get a free Peroni bottle POS kit.

ESTRELLA GALICIA DEAL P14

Buy 2 cases of Estrella Galicia 4.7% or gluten free 5.5% 330ml range and receive a free case of Estrella Galicia 0.0%.

AS009167_GreeneKing Brochure Feature V2 S2.indd 1 Low and no alcohol cider promotions

THATCHERS ZERO DEAL P56

Buy any 2 cases of Thatchers Zero 6 x 500ml and get one case for free.

HEINEKEN CIDER DEAL

Buy any four cases from Heineken’s range of packaged cider, including the Old Mout family, and get a case of Old Mout Berries & Cherries Alcohol Free for free.

Low and no alcohol soft drinks promotions

APPLETISER DEAL P58

Buy 3 cases of Appletiser 275ml NRGB (24 pack) and get one free.

RED BULL DEAL P58

Buy any 3 cases from the Red Bull Energy and Red Bull Sugarfree range and a get a case of Red Bull Tropical for free.

J20 DEAL P24

Buy any 4 cases from the J20 range and get a case of J2O Spritz Pear and Raspberry plus a cocktail POS kit for free.

FRUIT SHOOT DEAL P74

Buy any 2 cases of Fruit Shoot and get a 100-pack of kids Christmas activity sheets for free.

“SALES OF ALCOHOL-FREE DRINKS INCREASED BY 33.4% AT CHRISTMAS LAST YEAR.”

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS

With so many great deals to take advantage of, there’s no excuse for not having a fantastic range of options for customers looking to moderate their alcohol consumption this festive period.

Don’t forget too that Greene King offers a great range of low and no alcohol wines including single serve options like Sangre de Toro, available in red, white and rosé variants, as well as a 0.0% Freixenet Sparkling.

There’s something for everyone, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to maximise sales and profits while helping your customers moderate their alcohol consumption.

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