Of particular note were low and no spirits sales (up 85%) and low and no beer sales (up 50%), compared with this time last year.
The supermarket notes the ‘sober curious’ movement is growing: showing a trend towards ‘well-being-focused drinking’ that doesn’t compromise on flavor or social connection’.
Furthermore, searches on Waitrose’s online shop showed increased interest in alcohol-free options.
Searches for ‘non-alcoholic drinks’ were up 185%; searches for ‘non-alcoholic beer’ were up 116%; searchers for ‘non-alcoholic lager’ were up 756%; and ‘non alcoholic cocktails’ were up 128%.
For decades, supermarkets would typically offer one or two token SKUs in the alcohol-free category.
What’s now changed is the breadth and variety of products available – and the number of consumers wanting to purchase from this category has risen exponentially.
Growth stats: Waitrose's summer sales in low/no alcohol
In the spirits category (up 85%), top performers were:
- Martini Non-Alcoholic Vibrante Aperitivo (up 137%)
- Pentire Coastal Spritz Non-Alcoholic Spirit (up 69%)
- CleanCo Clean T Non-Alcoholic Tequila (up 69%)
In low/no wine, the category was up 21% with top performers including:
- Cordorniu Zero Rose (up 453%)
- Thomson & Scott Noughty Sparking Rose Alcohol Free (up 28%)
- Real Sec Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Dry White (up 8%)
Low/no alcohol beer saw sales rise 50%
- Guinness 0.0% (up 271%)
- Heineken 0.0% (up 230%)
- Lucky Saint Alcohol-Free Hazy IPA (up 190%)
Low and no cider was up 28%:
- Galipette Non Alcoholic Cider (up 24%)
- Waitrose Low Alcohol Cider (up 22%)
This means supermarkets now have to think much more carefully about how they craft their portfolios.
“Waitrose’s summer sales, by way of example, are fascinating in that they absolutely suggest that No/Low trends are not only here to stay but are a really exciting growth category,” says Amanda Thomson, whose alcohol-free wine brand Noughty features on shelves in the supermarket.
“Waitrose has smartly doubled down on high-quality brands and with a tightly edited and highly curated portfolio, which is a very smart way to success and something other retailers could take note of.”
“The data from Waitrose is hugely exciting as it really proves brands like Noughty are cementing our position in the wider mainstream category.”
With consumption of low/no alcohol drinks being driven by ‘at-home’ occasions, supermarkets are an important channel for the low/no alcohol industry.
Around 54% of consumers turn to the supermarket to discover new low and no alcohol drinks, compared to 24% who’d try out a new product in a bar and 20% by ordering online, according to a 2022 survey.
