UK retailer Tesco has forecast ‘record demand’ for no- and low-alcohol beer, wines and spirits this Christmas, after witnessing sustained and strong demand for the category throughout the year.
Demand for no- and low-alcohol beer at Tesco soared by more than 20% this year, while sales of no- or low-alcohol wine rose by nearly 15%, and demand for alternatives to spirits grew by nearly 10%, the retailer noted.
In the first three weeks of the June heatwave, the demand for no- and low-alcohol drinks at Tesco was more than 25% higher than it was for the first three weeks of Dry January.
Joe Olding, a no- and low-alcohol wine buyer at Tesco, said, “Based on the huge demand throughout the year, we are anticipating this festive season to not only be bigger than [the] Dry January just gone, but to be the biggest Christmas ever for no-and-low drinks.
“A few years ago, no- and low-alcohol drinks might have been a consideration to have on hand for special occasions, but, as our latest sales data shows, they’ve become mainstream and are now popular all year round. We’ve also made it easier than ever for customers to find no- and low-alcohol drinks, as they all sit alongside each other in the same aisle.”
Growth Drivers
Tesco believes that new-found confidence in the quality of the drinks among shoppers, often driven by recommendations from family and friends, was one of the growth drivers.
Other factors that contributed to increased demand include health concerns, awareness about drinking in moderation, the availability of more options, and product placement on store shelves.
Karen Tyrell, CEO of the charity Drinkaware, said, “It’s good to see that people across Britain are more open to trying no- and low-alcohol drinks this year. Drinking lower-strength and alcohol-free products can be a helpful way for people to moderate their drinking and stay within the low-risk guidelines of 14 units a week.”
Top Brands
Some of the leading brands driving the no-and-low boom are Lucky Saint, Athletic Brewing and Guinness 0% in beer; Gordons 0% Alcohol-Free Gin and the CleanCo brand of spirits; and Nozeco, Not Guilty, and Kylie 0% Sparkling Rosé in wine.
Pop star Kylie Minogue’s Kylie 0% Sparkling Rosé, launched in Tesco last year, has become the UK’s top-selling premium no-alcohol wine, according to the latest data from Nielsen Total Coverage EPOS 12 weeks ended 4 Nov 2023.
Demand for the product rocketed throughout the year, with one million bottles sold across all UK retailers, the retailer added.
The drink uses a unique filtration process to make it less sweet and retain more of the original taste of wine without the alcohol.
Kylie Minogue said, “When we launched our 0% Sparkling Rosé last year, we knew health and well-being was becoming more and more important in people’s lives, and so many of us are leaning into more self-care.”
