UK Consumers Hesitant to Try New Alcoholic Drinks
A new Canadean report finds that eight out of ten consumers who drink alcohol out of their homes rarely or never try new alcoholic drinks. This is concerning as substantial investment is made in developing and marketing new products. However, exciting flavours and seasonal offerings will keep the market from stagnating.
According to Canadean, 77% of out-of-home drinkers rarely or never try new products, with 32% sticking to brands they know and trust. While this may sound like good news to brands which are already popular, it is less favourable for newer products attempting to enter the market. When asked why they weren’t trying out new products, 21% of consumers said that there were no new drinks on offer that they liked, while 14% were unaware of new products on the market.
Sam Allen, analyst at Canadean, says: “With the vast diversity of products available at pubs, bars and clubs, consumers are faced with a myriad of alcoholic beverage options, and in the face of so many new drinks they often stick to tried-and-tested favourites.”
The Canadean report shows that manufacturers need to offer new and exciting products and market them in the right way to the right audience to encourage consumption. Over half (56%) of survey respondents, who regularly or often try new alcohol drinks out of the home, experiment with new flavours, while 33% like sampling locally made products.
Sam Allen says: “Many consumers are becoming bored with traditional flavours, particularly in beer, which has resulted in the rapid growth of smaller scale brewing and craft production.”
The desire to try seasonal offerings is another motivation, with 25% of consumers who try new drinks regularly opting for seasonal beverages. Summer and winter fruit varieties, such as Kopparberg’s raspberry flavoured cider, have increased in popularity, as have mulled options such as Henry Westons’ mulled cider.
Sam Allen adds: “Limited edition and seasonal options that offer fresh and exciting tastes will encourage more consumers to try products while they have the chance.”
