New findings based on the latest On-Premise Consumer Pulse Report showed that consumers choose drinks more often when going out for a treat and become more adventurous with their beverage choices.
Across New Zealand, food-led visitations dropped by two percentage points in February. Meanwhile, drink-led visits remained consistent with the month prior.
Forty-two percent of consumers who visited pubs, bars, and restaurants more often in the past month stated their reasoning was to treat themselves. Notably, 35 percent of consumers attributed their visiting frequency to the time of year. This seasonal increase aligns with higher visitation, typical of the summer period.
Consumers are also branching out and trying new drinks, as seen through the two percentage point increase over the last month, including beverages such as cocktails, spirits, wine, and RTD cocktails.
Sixty-four percent of visitors to New Zealand’s pubs, bars and restaurants shared that they were likely to experiment with their drinks. The highest level of experimentation revolved around cocktails, with 44 percent trying different cocktails, followed by 40 percent switching up from their usual brands of drink, and finally, 36 percent experimented with varying serve styles, such as drought, can, or bottle.
Popular drink categories which saw a rise in consumption over the summer period include soft drinks, beer, RTDs, and cider. However, as is typical of the time of year, the shift in decision-making when choosing drinks was categorised by several attributes. A staggering 76 percent of consumers chose drinks they described as refreshing, 71 percent chose drinks based on being served cold, 25 percent found whether the drink was fruity, and 17 percent decided whether they thought the drinks were sweet.
On-Premise, 55 percent of users visited casual dining restaurants more often, and 38 percent revealed they frequent pubs more.
“For drinks suppliers, the summer season presents major opportunities for new product development. Promotional activity should be tailored to suit the season, aligning with changing dynamics of consumers’ motivations for visiting and drinks choices at this time of year,” said James Phillips, Client Solutions Director at ANZ.
Philips described the research as necessary for businesses to take into account to maximise opportunity during the heightened periods of popularity.
