As we look back on the changes to our lifestyle from the 2020 pandemic, we cannot overlook the alcohol industry and the changes it has made to survive. From the hospitality industry fighting an uphill battle to survive, to consumers looking for more healthy options in food and beverage, there is no doubt that these trends will move into 2021.
So what’s next for the different segments in the industry? How will brands adapt to survive? These are our predictions as we move into the New Year.
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Ready to Drink Beverages Will Continue Expanding.
The RTD category started seeing traction in 2020, and this trend is not stopping. With bars and restaurants adjusting to the “new normal,” beverage brands are finding easy ways for consumer’s to still enjoy their product.
Even the bar and restaurant space is adapting to the new “normal” by creating “to-go-cocktails“ in order to generate a little business. Your town probably has one that is super popular among the millennials. The one that comes to mind for our studio home in Charleston, SC, is the Frosé by Co-op on Sullivan’s Island.
2. Hard Seltzer’s are Making Their Way to On-Premise
Finally! The hard seltzer category isn’t slowing down, and when bars and restaurants decide to open their doors, consumers are going to demand to have their bubbly beverage on tap or at the very least, be able to purchase by the bucket. We do not see this segment slowing down in 2021, but expanding!
Speaking of expanding, the Truly hard lemonade category is the third best-selling SKU in the category, according to Nielsen Data. So as we dive deeper into the warmer months of 2021, we predict more hard seltzer brands will capitalize on the trend.
3. Booze with Benefits
An oxymoron of sorts, booze with benefits has gained in popularity due to people trying to justify having an alcoholic beverage or two. We’ve seen the trend in 2020, and it will continue into 2021. Not familiar? How about “hard seltzers rich in antioxidant vitamin C,” “probiotic hard kombucha” or “gluten-free vodka.” All of these have a nice ring to them. Have you tried any booze with benefits lately?
4. Direct to Consumer for the Alcohol Space
The time has finally come where more brands are finding ways to get their beverages directly to the consumer. Whether it is a one-hour delivery service like Drizly, or another local platform, alcohol brands want their following to be able to get there product lightening fast.
According to the IWSR, The alcohol beverage e-commerce growth in 2020 was up 42% and plans to overtake China and become the world’s largest beverage alcohol e-commerce market by the end of 2021.
We hope to see more trends emerge in 2021 and we will keep you updated if we discovery new products throughout the year. One thing is for sure, the beverage space is only growing and consumers are only wanting more options!
Contact us today if you have a product that needs a launch plan and go-to market strategy!