Convenience, experience, technology and mindful drinking are key driving factors in the constant evolution of how, where and what beverage alcohol consumers are drinking. The IWSR Global Trends Report 2018, released this week, explores the pivotal trends changing the landscape of the global alcohol market.
Convenience Factor
Online channels are revolutionising the industry. E-commerce sales are rapidly gaining traction across the globe, creating a new frontier for beverage alcohol sales. A new tech-savvy generation of consumers are turning their back on traditional retail, opting for the convenience and simplicity of ordering online. The speed and ease of service provided by on-demand delivery platforms such as Drizly in the US or Bevy in the UK is one of the fundamental drivers of online purchases. In addition, on-site sales at local producer-level and drive-through liquor stores are catering to the demand for more convenient purchase options.
Occasion-Based Drinking
Concerts, pop-up restaurants, food fairs and other event-based occasions are all contributing to the rise of the ‘new’ premise where experience sits at the heart of the occasion. With brand activations often tightly integrated into the activity, these non-traditional events and venues are challenging the long-held assumption of specific products for specific occasions. Product innovation and the blurring of category lines are both helping to further this trend.
Mindful Drinking
Growing health consciousness, or what has been dubbed ‘mindful drinking’, is creating a swell of demand for low- or no-alcohol beverages, particularly among the new generation of consumers reaching legal drinking age. Lower-ABV variants of popular spirits brands are growing rapidly at the expense of traditional lines. The wellness trend has spurred a move away from artificial flavours to lighter and more natural ingredients.
Cannabis Drinks
The desire for low-alcohol drinks also lends itself well to the growing cannabis drinks trend. There is a growing industry for non-alcoholic cannabis drinks and CBD-infused alcoholic cocktails. Beer producers are looking to develop non-alcoholic beers containing CBD. This trend is most prominent in the US and Canada, but CBD cocktails can also be found in the UK. This looks likely to be one of the biggest disruptors the drink industry has ever seen.
The IWSR Global Trends Report 2018 looks at the pivotal trends from around the world, giving you a picture of what’s driving the markets and where the biggest opportunities for the industry lie. The IWSR, the world’s leading authority on global beverage alcohol data and analysis, compiles the report through on-the-ground research in-market, with over 1,600 face-to-face interviews with key industry players.
About the IWSR
The IWSR is the leading source of data and analysis on the alcoholic beverage market. The IWSR’s database, essential to the industry, quantifies the global market of wine, spirits, beer, cider and mixed drinks by volume and value in 157 countries, and provides insight into short- and long-term trends, including five-year volume and value forecasts.
The IWSR tracks overall consumption and trends at brand, price segment and category level. Our data is used by the major multinational wine, spirits and beer companies, as well as financial and alcoholic beverage market suppliers. The IWSR’s unique methodology allows us to get closer to what is actually consumed and better understand how markets work. Our analysts travel the world in order to meet over 1,600 local professionals to capture market trends and the ‘why’ behind the numbers.