6th November, 2019 by Edith Hancock Big flavours, small ABVs and fancy formats are all in vogue now, according to the supermarket’s head of beer, wine and spirits, Pierpaolo Petrassi MW. “We’re seeing a marked change in attitudes towards drinks,” Petrassi said. “Many people have a broader repertoire than ever before, and think carefully about what they’re drinking, looking for an experience and a sense of the occasion, company or season.” The retailer carried out consumer research with 2,000 people of all ages – not exclusively Waitrose shoppers, which was supported by focus groups in which participants were asked about their shopping, cooking and eating habits. These insights are then backed up with Waitrose’s sales data from the last 12 months. We’ve poured over the report and picked out the alcohol trends that we think will continue to make waves in 2020, from booze-free serves that are big on flavour, to global fizz and the return of the tinny.
Waitrose's 2019 food and drink trends report for annual has shown a significant shift in UK consumers' alcohol spending habits. These include more environmentally conscious choices such as refillable drinks or bring your own; a rise in eastern European, English and Welsh wine sales, made possible by changing climates and more investment; a surge in low and non-alcohol drinks; increased sales of cans rather than bottles of wine; and a shift to big flavours over alcohol by volume. The supermarket chain surveyed 2,000 people, not just Waitrose customers, and backed its figures up with sales data and focus group results.