UK | After a record-breaking year, no and low alcohol experts have given their Christmas predictions.
Brits created a record demand for non- and low-alcohol drinks in 2024, with sales rising throughout the year, not just for the traditional Christmas and Dry January occasions.
The most notable peak came during the summer’s Euro 2024 football tournament, a sporting event not noted for ever having produced a high demand for non- and low-alcohol drinks.
During the month-long competition, Tesco saw demand for no and low beer soar even higher than for Dry January. Due to this surging interest, the retailer has anticipated its biggest-ever Christmas demand, especially with newer products recently added to the market.
No, and Low Beer has been the biggest winner this year. The supermarket's drinks experts have given tips on what they believe will be the top sellers this festive season.
Shoppers have become confident in the quality of the products they buy in multi-pack sizes rather than single bottles or cans. That’s the equivalent in litres of a 20 percent rise on the previous year.
“What was incredible about this year in terms of no and low drinks is that we saw a huge demand during the Euro 2024 football tournament in the summer – traditionally a very tough time for the alcohol-free category,” said Tesco no and low drinks buyer David Albon.
“It’s taken a while, but we’re seeing a new consumer confidence for no and low drinks in general whereby shoppers are now more trusting in the quality of the drinks they can buy and the brands available to them.”
This year, the supermarket included a no/low brew—Lucky Saint’s Alcohol-Free Beer—with its Finest Club Card Meal Deal offering for the first time ever, which has become very popular with customers.
It has predicted demand in the four weeks before Christmas to grow by 15 percent compared to last year, with Heineken, Peroni, Lucky Saint, and Athletic among the most popular brands.
No and Low Spirits also had an exceptional year, with demand at Tesco leaping by 20 percent in 2023. As a result, the supermarket has increased its range by 30 percent.
Based on early demand, predicted best sellers for Christmas have included Captain Morgan Alcohol-Free Rum 70cl, Whitley Neill Rhubarb and Ginger zero percent gin, and its own-label Pink Gin and Lemonade 0.5 percent four-pack.
No and Low Wine also saw strong growth of more than ten percent, and demand for Kylie Minogue’s Sparkling zero percent Rose was already nearly 70 percent of 2023 sales.
Drinkaware, an independent UK alcohol education charity that has helped people make better drinking choices, was happy to hear the news.
"The growth in the sale of no and low-alcohol drinks this past year is really positive. Our research shows UK drinkers are choosing them more and more, with around a third of people now using them to moderate their drinking,” said Karen Tyrell, CEO of the charity Drinkaware.
“To understand how your drinking might be impacting your health and get advice on how to keep within the government’s low-risk drinking guidelines of 14 units per week, take the free Drinking Check."
More beverage news here
