A recent survey has revealed that Brits are choosing to avoid the booze during the country-wide lockdown. That’s despite a 78% rise in sales of beer, wine, and spirits.
The survey from CGA BrandTrack shows that British consumers are avoiding alcohol for now. Although 17% of those that took part in the survey said that they usually drink alcohol and will continue to do so, a whopping 37% said that they were either drinking a lot less or had even cut it out totally.
There were fears after a report by Nielson that showed Brits were buying more alcohol online than ever that the booze being delivered to homes was being consumed quickly. However, it is suspected that the huge leap in alcohol deliveries was simply down to convenience. The data release from Nielson, an information, data, and measurement firm, said the big jump in online alcohol sales was down to the fact that bottles of wine and spirits or cases of beer are heavy, and that there is less need to check for quality as there is with fresh food.
The survey has also revealed some good news for restaurant owners and pub landlords. 33% of those surveyed said that they were already supporting their local hospitality businesses, or that they plan to. Many already are, with as much as 36% of those in lockdown confirming that they are still using food delivery services.
The chief executive of the Portman Group discussed the survey results, saying that it was “encouraging to see so many people taking steps such as buying a ‘virtual pint’”. All in an effort to support local businesses at a time of great difficulty for those working in the UK hospitality sector.
Most tellingly, the report highlights the importance of brands to behave responsibility during the Corona crisis. 75% of those surveyed said that they would be much more willing to spend money buying from a company that has behaved ethically during the lockdown. As online and governmental criticism of Wetherspoons’ Tim Martin continues to grow, landlords and restaurant owners are having to think carefully about how they approach the need to stay afloat while staying safe.
This has become a priority for the hospitality sector, still struggling in the face of a lack of governmental guidance. The biggest cause of stress is paying the high rental costs for pubs and restaurants made very challenging by the lack of income due to the lockdown. Rent breaks are the solution.
Fred Diamond, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, said of the survey results that “Those who are buying less are likely social drinkers. After the lockdown, it is not certain if these people will return to the pubs and bars they once frequented as they may have adjusted to a lower-alcohol lifestyle.” Discussing those Brits that are drinking more during the lockdown, Diamond suggests that this may be due to the lower costs of booze in shops. How this will affect the hospitality trade when the lockdown is lifted is unknown, but Diamond thinks we may see that “consumers prefer the easily accessible subscriptions they’ve become accustomed to over a pricey bar – the difference will be how operators market the ‘experience’ over the product.”
