For a marketer in the adult beverage or full-service restaurant business, conflicting trends can create serious whiplash.
On the one hand, the pandemic drove a 20% increase in liquor stores sales (7-month period, 2019 to 2020; Columbia).
On the other, “dry January” and “sober October” are increasingly drawing followers and influencers, focusing on health and wellness as reasons for temporarily abstaining.
So what does this mean for your product mix and marketing messages? CHOICE. Increasingly young adults are testing the waters of sobriety, a lifestyle dubbed “sober-curious.” They may choose to indulge at unlikely times, and moderate at others.
For example, the CMO of Another Broken Egg shared with NRN recently that the chain has been experiencing success with an expanded adult beverage menu and innovative menu items that integrate alcohol – such as spiked whip cream. Alcohol as a percentage of total sales has increased dramatically, going from an average of 5% of in 2015 to more than 15% today – and they only serve breakfast and lunch!
And at the same time, off-premise sales of “near beers” are projected to hit $361M this year – almost double 2019 pre-pandemic sales, per Beverage Marketing Corp. Their research predicts that including sales at bars and restaurants, the total is likely closer to $500M.
Our advice? Mix it up and provide choices! Marketing options among innovative products (CBD anyone?) and menu items (breakfast faux beers?) may help retain and grow business by hanging onto the whipping tail of changing consumer behaviors.