Home beverage consumption has always existed in the form of family meals and gatherings of friends. Nonetheless, and in a quasi-obligatory way, this custom became supercharged during lockdown and appears to be here to stay.
This time we’re talking about how the consumer, alone or with friends, seeks to reproduce the experience of consuming in a bar and transfer it to the privacy of the home.
This is a trend that the industry should pay special attention to, always taking into account the needs of the public, because, while tastes inside and outside the home seem at first glance to be the same, surveys and data say otherwise.
Formats become quite different when we move from the bar to the dinner table or to the home bar, and even the types of beverages we consume sitting on a sofa can differ from what appeals to us when we go out.
Beer, the fourth most consumed beverage in Spanish households
The latest data from January to November of 2021 from the consultancy Statista provides very precise data on what the average consumer in Spain actually drinks.
After milk and bottled water (2,790 million litres), which are two essentials typically found in average households, soft drinks (1,500 million litres), followed by beer are in third and fourth place, respectively, in the ranking of liquids consumed in our country.
This is an important detail to be taken into account in our sector.
Among alcoholic beverages, beer is in first place, followed by wine and, in last place, spirits.
Which is logical and completely reasonable because, in general, the latter tend to be limited to and served only on special occasions.
The boom in alcoholic beverage delivery
Beverage home delivery orders are nothing new, but it was the confinement that consolidated this new demand.
This delivery mode is directly related to online and e-commerce orders.
Although people are going out more with the pandemic under control, convenience combined with the impossibility of leaving the house in 2020 and most of 2021 put home delivery in the crosshairs of brands, and is currently one of the fastest growing businesses in the sector.
Let’s keep in mind that the delivery behemoths are not the only beneficiaries but that the on-trade sector, specialised stores and supermarkets are also opening up a new business line with home delivery.
Before rolling this out, and with an eye to implementation, it’s important for the major manufacturers to do a detailed analysis of how to optimise their delivery operations,
- making a wise selection of the online commerce platform(s) they are going to use for distribution or to carry out the deliveries.
- It’s important to launch marketing actions like special offers or marketing campaigns with new products, based on the season, etc.
- Knowing the regulations and how to comply with them.
- Being capable of providing a complete experience so that users can adopt and to encourage home consumption. From publicising new products to recommending inspirational ideas on a blog to using e-commerce to offer new formats like cocktails, specialised glassware, guides to botanicals or services like online tastings, a home tap, etc.
- Understanding tastes and preferences through a database or history of orders.
Patronising online beer stores is becoming a habit for numerous users. Through promotions that will be capable of retaining and pursuing consumers’ continuity.
The keys to making home beverage consumption attractive
1. Bartending at home and ready-to-drink cocktails
Cocktail kits (with shakers, a variety of botanicals and spices, and party boxes with different products) for preparing mixed drinks at home, along with “ready-to-drink cocktails” are proving to be crucial for encouraging continuity in home consumption and one way of differentiating brands from the competition.
Some circumstances like the labour shortage, inflation and price increases in general that have impacted the price of drinks in establishments are giving consumption habits a new twist.
This information can be gleaned from the Midyear Alcohol Updatereport performed by Information Resources Inc. (IRI), which asserts that preferences are changing. People are now opting more for celebrating and disconnecting at home.
2. At-home tastings
Premium beverages are in fashion, and this trend has penetrated the market. People are now looking more for special beers, fine wines and select liquors.
Various brands and companies have launched at-home tastings. Either online or with an expert visiting the home for tastings of wines, beers or spirits, on their own to focus on the nuances or paired with specific foods or a special menu or different snacks.
3. The new trend: a tap at home
For some time, it’s been possible to enjoy freshly poured beer from the classic five-litre keg tap.
However, and in order to offer options for all tastes, the major brands are the ones taking it directly to the home.
The possibility of enjoying your beer freshly poured at a bar in the home also exists. This option, which became a trend a few years ago, is becoming increasingly popular. Whether as a fixed installation under a subscription or rental arrangement, the major beer brands are taking the tap to the home.
This is the case of the Mahou San Miguel store, where an expert technician takes care of installing a bar with a 30-litre tap.
4. Tasting kits and table games with a beverage pack included
Fun at home is here to stay, and the boom in table games has also had the effect of boosting consumers’ leisure time.
Beverage packs combined with a game are an option along with the boom in at-home tasting kits, which, as a gift or to have a good time, have been succeeding in the market for some time.
Whether involving beer, wine, or even a beverage accompanied by cheese, an internet search will turn up different packs that are also experiencing a growth in demand, especially at times like the holidays.
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