Retail & Shopper Insights

The drinks industry has been directed impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 situation

Drinks industry reacts to coronavirus impact

By Gwen Ridler

Cut earnings, threats to supplies and helplines for manufacturers’ customers are just some of the latest developments in the drinks industry as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Global spirits companies are donating their alcohol for use in hand sanitizer production. Pic: Getty/Zephyr18

How are beverage brands coping in the face of COVID-19?

By Beth Newhart

Amid quarantines, lockdowns and cancellations, beverage companies are doing what they can to stay afloat as well as help out in the community. We round-up the latest news from brands dealing with the crisis.

Clover Sonoma’s new packaging will be available on shelves this summer in its organic half gallon and quart milk cartons.

Clover Sonoma debuts fully renewable plant-based milk carton

By Beth Newhart

California-based dairy Clover Sonoma is making sustainability strides with the launch of a new milk carton made entirely from plant materials. It’s one of the first of its kind in the US and will hit shelves this summer.

Sproud has about half the sweetness of oat beverages and five-times the protein of soy and almond.

Swedish pea drinks make North American debut

By Beth Newhart

Following the worldwide success of oat drinks from Sweden, beverage company Sproud is looking to make peas the next big milk alternative protein source. After the postponement of Natural Products Expo West, it hits the North American market next month.

COVID-19: Expo West cancelled as New Hope shifts focus to Expo East

COVID-19: Expo West canceled as New Hope shifts focus to Expo East

By Elaine Watson

In an announcement that will not likely surprise many stakeholders, New Hope has decided to cancel (rather than postpone) the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim and focus its attention on Expo East in Philadelphia (Sept. 23-26).

The low-to-no alcoholic (LNA) beverage trend appears to have caught on in the APAC region, with various major beverage firms launching their own versions.

FNA Deep Dive: Low-to-no alcoholic beverages

Booze-free growth imminent: Low-to-no alcoholic beverages set to boom in APAC

By Pearly Neo and Guan Yu Lim

The low-to-no alcoholic (LNA) beverage industry is growing rapidly in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, and as of late this trend appears to have also caught on in the APAC region, with various major beverage firms launching their own...

Beverage brands invest in 100% rPET to tackle the environmental impacts of plastic packaging. Pic: Getty/nopponpat

Plastic vs plastic: Which packaging is best?

By Beth Newhart

The fight against ‘single use plastic’ has beverage brands evolving their packaging and even switching to glass and aluminum. But not all plastic bottles are created equal, and brands are testing a range of options.

Bevi cuts 150 million bottles and cans from the workplace

By Beth Newhart

Complimentary workplace snacks and beverages are now a relatively common practice for US employers, but the mounting costs and environmental drawbacks have offices turning more to eco-friendly drink systems like Bevi.

Martini Fiero & Tonic

Bacardi: 'We believe that brands are built in bars, not boardrooms!'

By Ian McLaren, director of advocacy, Europe, Bacardi

Bacardi sent 7,000 employees 'back to the bar' in 100 cities worldwide last month to explore the latest cocktail trends - and one of their findings was a surge in the popularity of mocktails and low/no alcohol drinks. Ian McLaren, director of...

Night Shift believes there is a line when it comes to healthy craft beer, and would never sacrifice the quality of an IPA to make it low-calorie. Pic: Getty/Woodkern

Reformatting IPAs for the masses: small sizes win big

By Beth Newhart

In the face of health and wellness concerns and low-to-no alcohol trends, craft brewers of heavy, boozy beer are rethinking their methods. Line extensions and new packaging formats are the advice of Massachusetts-based Night Shift Brewing.

Bacardi goes ‘back to the bar’ in search of cocktail trends

By Beth Newhart

Bacardi is enlisting the help of 7,000 global employees to track new trends in cocktails and wider alcohol by sending them to local bars and restaurants. This year mindful drinking is expected to go mainstream, and natural, fresh ingredients will be at...

Far from boring: BrewDog, Heineken, Miller64 & Seedlip find fun ways to engage with drinkers. Pic:gettypatcharinsaenlakon

The best Dry January campaigns of 2020

By Dan Hooper, co-founder and director of client services, YesMore

'Dry January' creates a opportunity for low and no alcohol brands to jump-start momentum for the year ahead. Dan Hooper, co-founder and director of client services at alcohol marketing agency YesMore, picks out four campaigns that rose above...

Hard seltzer products made up 20% of all online beer sales through Drizly on Super Bowl Sunday. Pic: Getty/Davizro

Beer and seltzer dominate ads and consumption for Super Bowl LIV

By Beth Newhart

Million-dollar commercials, glitzy halftime performances and a championship football game all come together in one of alcohol’s biggest holidays of the year. Every year, Americans prepare for Super Bowl Sunday with more than $2bn in booze sales.

The Italian Way considers the US a ‘mature and conscious’ market for Italian beverage exports.

Italy eyes the US beverage market for health-conscious, eco customers

By Beth Newhart

American consumers are increasingly looking for products with a focus on simple, high-quality ingredients and sustainability. And a group of Italian companies believe their products are ready to meet these demands: with their drinks on show at the Winter...

HopTea craft brews non-alcoholic tea like a beer

HopTea craft brews non-alcoholic tea like a beer

By Beth Newhart

Hoplark’s HopTea brand replaces malt in its beverage brewing process with a tea base for a line of non-alcoholic beer alternatives. Its latest grapefruit variety mimics the radler style.

Barefoot Hard Seltzer combines wine and seltzer water

What's hitting the shelves? New product launches: January

By Rachel Arthur

Ocean Spray is blending fruit juice with cold brew coffee; Barefoot is mixing wine with hard seltzer; and Truly is combining hard seltzer with lemonade... We take a look at some of the new products hitting the shelves around the globe this month.

“We encourage people to get outside, so our packaging highlights a lot of northern California destinations.”

Surreal Brewing 'reduces the stigma' of non-alcoholic beer

By Beth Newhart

After just a year and a half in business, Surreal Brewing Company sells five varieties of alcohol-free craft beer out of northern California. They exhibited at this year’s Winter Fancy Food Show, sampling the latest release.

People tend to associate tea with health benefits, but that hasn't traditionally been the case for alcoholic tea drinks.

Loverboy launch grows the hard tea category

By Beth Newhart

Hard seltzers dominated the alcohol conversation in 2019, and there’s been an uptick in flavored malt beverage (FMB) launches in response. Loverboy brings a healthier option to the small but growing hard tea category.

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