Retailers create dedicated space for alcohol-free range as demand rises

Retailers are making up space in their alcohol section for no and low alcohol range as sales of alcohol-free drinks spikes, with beer in the lead.

A Premier retailer based in Glasgow, is refitting his store to make a dedicated space of no and low-alcohol range. Retailer Girish Jeeva is set to open a "beer cave" section in his store where about 15-20 per cent of the area will now be exclusive no and low-alcohol range.

“We are going to give probably about one to two meter for just alcohol-free range, amounting to 15-20 per cent of the alcohol aisle to start off with. With the rise in trend and now with all the prices increasing, this will be a good alternative for customers to switch into,” he told Asian Trader.

On the other hand, supermarket Waitrose announced today (7) that is is working with Diageo to introduce dedicated areas in 253 of its stores to display the full range of over 70 low and alcohol-free drinks as a research commissioned by Diageo found that seven in ten adults in the UK want to be able to find low and alcohol-free drinks more easily while shopping.

Waitrose also noted that over the past year, sales of low and alcohol-free drinks in its stores have grown by 20 per cent, with beer sales growing the fastest. The introduction of the dedicated areas will see 60 per cent more space given over to low and alcohol-free drinks across its estate.

“Demand for low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks is growing at a phenomenal rate. It’s now the norm for customers to buy both. We expect this year to be the biggest year to date for sales and are preparing for strong demand at Christmas,” said Pierpaolo Petrassi, Master of Wine, and Head of Beers, Wines and Spirits at Waitrose.

“The growth is down to our customers wanting to moderate their alcohol consumption, but is also heavily driven by the creation of new, great quality new drinks such as Guinness 0.0, Tanqueray 0.0 and Gordon’s Pink 0.0. We’ve added 10 new low and alcohol-free products this year and will launch more before Christmas

Nuno Teles, Managing Director Diageo GB, added that UK drinkers are becoming more sophisticated and thinking more about how much they drink, the alcohol-free and low-alcohol category plays a critical role in providing quality choices for those looking to moderate, without compromising on experience.

“However, barriers still exist when it comes to finding and understanding the options available. We are proud to partner with Waitrose to make it easier for consumers to know where to find alcohol-free and low alcohol options in store.”