• According to the latest Fentimans Premium Soft Drinks and Mixers Market Report, consumers are exploring a ‘drinking flexitarian’ lifestyle in 2024.
• CGA data shows more than two in five (22%) consumers have reduced the amount of alcohol they drink in an average week.
• As consumers seek beverages with lower alcohol, the importance of high-quality soft drinks and mixers has been raised in 2024.

Fentimans, the premium soft drinks and mixers brand, has released the fifth edition of its Market Report, in partnership with CGA by NIQ, exploring the changing attitudes and behaviours of consumers in both the On Trade and Off Trade industries over the last 18 months. It looks deep into the impact of consumers drinking less but better, the surge of no and low alcohol and the rise in food-led occasions.

A key trend explored in the report is the significant increase in the consumption of no and low alcohol beverages, particularly within the cocktail category. This comes as people continue to be health conscious in 2024, with more than two thirds (70%) of consumers proactively trying to lead a healthy lifestyle – a figure that has sustained since last year.

According to the BrandTrack survey, half of consumers (50%) have bought mocktails or virgin alternatives in the past 12 months, a 15% increase compared to 2023 (35%). What’s more, two in five (41%) consumers have chosen a no or low alcohol beer in the last 12 months, while a smaller but significant number have also opted for no and low alternatives to cider (17%), spirits (12%), and wine (12%) – figures that have continued to grow year on year.

The data shows more than a fifth (22%) of consumers have reduced the amount of alcohol they drink in an average week, opting for no and low options for everyday casual eating and drinking occasions with family and friends.

The decision to cut-down and embrace a ‘flexi-sober’ lifestyle is largely due to consumers looking to cut down their high alcohol intake (47%), however, it is also fuelled by price and a desire to save money without compromising on the quality of the drinks they consume. 

Mark Platten, Marketing Manager at Fentimans commented: “Reduction in alcohol is now viewed as a permanent change in consumer behaviour rather than a trend. There are now extensive options when it comes to no and low alcohol spirits and beers but there is also a place for premium soft serves that delight consumers without replicating the taste of alcohol.

It’s important to give consumer choice on menu and create more ‘soft first’ serves with the option to add alcohol if desired but either way, taste great. At Fentimans we have focused on creating standout serves which give operators the opportunity to delight consumers while keeping things simple behind the bar.”

To read the full Fentimans Premium Soft Drinks and Mixers Market Report, visit: https://www.fentimans.com/pages/fentimans-market-report-2024

 

ENDS

Media Contacts: For more information, contact Anna Pears at O Agency on 0191 2325690 or email anna@o.agency

Notes to editors:

Data in The 2024 Fentimans Premium Soft Drinks and Mixers Market Report is drawn from CGA by NIQ’s portfolio of research sources, including:

• CGA BrandTrack, the quarterly survey of the habits of 5,000 nationally representative British consumers, including their attitudes to several hundred eating and drinking out brands.
• On Premise Measurement service (OPM), Britain’s leading measure of sales, pricing and other metrics in pubs, bars and restaurants.
• The CGA On Premise User Survey (OPUS), the rolling analysis of guests engagement with pubs, bars and restaurants.
• The Daily Drinks Tracker, which measures drinks sales in managed venues.
• The CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker and CGA Hospitality at Home Tracker, the benchmarks of sales for eat-in and delivery sales respectively at the UK’s leading managed pub, bar, and restaurant groups.
• The Hospitality Market Monitor, a guide to openings and closures in the licensed sector across Britain, produced in association with AlixPartners.
• The 2023 CGA and Fourth Business Leaders’ Survey and quarterly CGA and Fourth Business Confidence Survey, which gather the opinions of influential individuals working at senior management level.

To learn more about CGA by NIQ’s research, visit www.cgastrategy.com.To learn more about Fentimans’ range of drinks and support for your business, visit www.fentimans.com.