Demand for low and no-alcohol drinks continues to rise as consumers stay dry beyond January, Ocado says.
Data shared with This Is Money shows that searches for alcohol alternatives during January increased significantly from the previous year.
Searches for low-alcohol blonde beer increased 102 percent between January 2023 and January 2024, while low-alcohol red wine increased 48 percent.
Ocado says searches for low and no alcohol drinks have soared since January 2023
Searches for non-alcoholic white wine skyrocketed 119 percent, while non-alcoholic beverages overall increased 40 percent.
There has been a steady decline in the number of Britons drinking alcohol in recent years.
A recent report by hospitality research organization KAM found that 5.2 million fewer UK adults drank weekly in 2023 than in 2021.
Young people are also increasingly moderating their consumption or avoiding alcohol completely: two out of every five people under 25 years of age declare themselves non-drinkers.
There are now more alternatives than ever and Ocado said it has increased its own range by a third in the last 18 months to meet increased demand.
A survey commissioned by Ocado found that almost half of consumers plan to continue drinking alternatives to alcohol beyond the end of January.
One in three said that increased choice had been a key factor in reducing their alcohol consumption.
Adnams Brewery told This Is Money that Ghost Ship 0.5 per cent, which it launched in 2018, now accounts for 26 per cent of the beer’s sales.
Sales have increased so much that it is now the second best-selling beer in their entire range, behind only the 4.5 per cent version of Ghost Ship.
Similarly, Guinness Zero has proven to be a hit with drinkers. Last summer, owner Diageo announced that he would try to triple production of his alcohol-free brand in response to changing tastes.
The drink, which launched in 2021, is on track to account for 10 per cent of all Guinness sales in Ireland in the coming years.
It was also the top alternative drink to alcohol for Ocado shoppers, with a 50 per cent year-on-year increase in searches.
Sales of the product increased 12 percent during the period.
It was followed by Lucky Saint lager, the UK’s largest non-alcoholic beer brand, and Beck’s Blue.
Overall, low or no beer volumes were up 23 percent year-on-year, while low or no cider volumes were up 12 percent.
Oscar Biggs, No/Low buyer at Ocado Retail, said: “A dry January used to mean moderation for a month before falling back into old habits, but that’s no longer the case.”
‘We have increased our range of low and no alcohol drinks by 21 per cent year on year, in response to customer demand for alcohol-free alternatives.
“Sales of alcohol products remain strong, but the gap between none and low is closing, so we continue to expand our range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers, ciders, wines and spirits to ensure Ocado has something for everyone.”