Research suggests ‘a fifth of drinkers’ looking to cut back

Research from Mintel has suggested that almost one in five British drinkers expects to reduce their consumption of alcohol during the next year, with only 5% expecting to drink more.

Saving money was the number one reason given by the 17% of respondents who intend to cut back on how much they drink; over-45s are the most likely age group to be planning to reduce their intake, with 19%, but as many as 16% of 18-24 year olds are also expecting to drink less in the coming year than last.

Changes to lifestyle, managing weight as part of a diet, and health reasons such as being advised to cut back by a doctor are among the other popular reasons given by those who are looking to reduce their consumption of alcohol. More generally, the study found that 80% of British adults drink alcohol with 72% of those drinking at least once a week, and one in ten claiming to drink alcohol every day.

The Chief Medical Officer of the UK recommends that men do not regularly exceed 21 units of alcohol per week, or 14 units for women, with the average can of beer containing between 1.7 and 2.7 units.

Mintel senior drinks analyst Chris Wisson said: “Over the next year a higher share of Brits are expecting to cut back than increase their consumption. While consumers may have understood health problems associated with drinking for quite some time, it seems rising prices have finally prompted Brits to consider cutting back the amount of alcohol they are drinking. And while cost is the number one reason why Brits are planning to cut back on drinking, lifestyle changes – such as becoming parents – are also a key reason for reduced consumption.”

He also highlighted that 48% of respondents thought that information about the alcohol content of drinks should be clearer on product packaging, while 55% of consumers claimed that it was worth paying more for a higher quality tipple.

Wisson continued: “Information such as alcohol and calorie content is not always easily visible on alcoholic drinks’ packaging or pump clips. This could be a particularly problematic issue in the on-trade where it is often difficult to get close to the bar to see pump clips or packaged drinks. All age groups show a broadly similar agreement that there should be clearer information about the alcohol content on drinks’ packaging or pump clips. Brands could also talk more specifically about how their ABV is beneficial to the taste and enjoyment of the drink, for example helping to enhance the taste of ingredients such as hops or grapes.

“The rapid growth being seen in the sparkling wines category, with prosecco in particular leading the charge, is a good example of how many consumers are looking to drink premium drinks if given compelling reasons to do so.”

The findings were announced on the same day as new research puts sales of prosecco up 72%, a dramatic contrast to other sparkling wine categories. Sparkling wine grew its value sales in the last year by 28.6%; but cava’s value sales shrunk by 11.1% and champagne’s grew by only 1.2%, with negative volume sales growth of 0.4%.

The figures were released by research company IRI, which claimed that the increasing fashionability of prosecco, coupled with its cost-effectiveness and quality, were motivating its success.