Social pressure blocks the sale of non-alcoholic beverages, research has confirmed

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Most consumers say it’s acceptable to drink no or low alcohol when they go out, but some choose alcohol because of social pressure, according to Heineken and Oxford University research.

The study, based on an Ipsos survey of 11,842 adults in the UK, US, Spain, Japan and Brazil, found that 68 per cent have tried alcohol-free or low-alcohol alternatives and 80 per cent believe they drink alcohol. It was more acceptable than it was five years ago.

But among those who drank alcohol at least once or twice a year, half said they drank alcohol “always” or “sometimes” despite having little or no intention to drink alcohol socially.

Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, said: “Reports of people wanting to try non-alcoholic beverages do not always translate into increased sales.”

“Despite the high acceptance of people who do not drink alcohol . . . “It’s clear that people still sometimes expect social judgment from others when it comes to choosing non-alcoholic beverages,” he added.

The study identified several challenges Low and low alcohol drinks Category, compared to alcoholic beverages including price, taste expectations and social conditions.

Among the 68 percent who have tried low- or no-alcohol beverages, Gen Z is the largest age group at 73 percent, followed by baby boomers at 58 percent.

However, Gen Z (ages up to 27) felt the most social pressure to drink alcohol, the survey found, with more than a third of respondents in this age group saying they felt pressured to do so in social situations.

About 21 percent of Genez users surveyed said they were “called” to choose a non-alcoholic drink, compared to an average of 15 percent across all age groups.

Among Gen Z, the study found that men are more vulnerable to social pressure than women, with 38 percent of low or no alcohol drinkers saying they would only drink if their friends were drinking, and 30 percent saying they felt the need to justify it. The choice.

For Gen Z women, 35 percent said they would drink less alcohol if only their friends did.

The no- and low-alcohol category has grown over the past five years as people pay more attention to healthy living.

Big brewers, including Heineken and AB InBev, have invested heavily in advertising and product launches to capitalize on the trend, which has created a new market for brewers as beer consumption declines. According to beverage data provider IWSR, global beer volume will decline by 1 percent in 2023.

The no and low alcohol category is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4% in the sector’s 10 key markets over the next four years. Alcohol-free products alone are expected to grow by 7 percent.

Heineken says its Heineken 0.0 non-alcoholic beer has an 18 percent market share. Brand sales grew 14 percent in the first half of 2024, compared with overall beer sales growth of 2.1 percent for the group.

Spain said consumers in the five countries surveyed had moved to a “moderate” consumption of both alcohol and low- or non-alcohol beverages with “remarkable curiosity” due to the latter’s improved availability and taste. .