Zero alcohol drinks growing 10% a year in Europe

A new report from Zenith Global on European Zero Alcohol Drinks forecasts sales growth of almost 10% a year over the next 5 years.

THe current European market is estimated to be €5.9bn in 2018, taking the 2023 value to €9.3bn.

“The UK is expected to achieve the highest growth rate at 30% a year, but Germany should be the first to reach 1 billion litres by 2023,” said Zenith Global chairman Richard Hall.

The report notes the dominance of West Europe in both volume and value, achieving shares in excess of 80%. It also explores the 4 major countries in a deeper analysis – Germany, Russia, Spain and the UK.

4 key growth drivers are increasing consumer attention to health and wellbeing, a cultural shift away from alcohol, technical advances in improving taste and marketing for more consumption occasions. For example, zero alcohol beers have been marketed in Germany as isotonic sports drinks available from vending machines. Another wider advertising campaign has promoted zero alcohol drinks in an office environment.

“Zero alcohol drinks have moved from reluctant compromise to positive engagement. Among the best are products with big brand backing and full taste equivalence or ground breaking challengers with strong ethical credentials,” continued Richard Hall.

“Zero alcohol drinks offer a major market opportunity in the coming years, both in countries where they are already established and in regions where they have yet to become significant. This is especially the case in markets where alcohol consumption volumes have been static or declining,” he concluded.