Another d’uh study was just released by the Mintel Group, showing that Alcohol Manufacturers Drink in Profits From At-Home Consumption, almost as if the alcohol industry manufactured the recession.
With fewer jobs, less money circulating (at least in the bottom 99% of the economy) and the nation deep in recession, exactly what result would any reasonable person expect but the fact that more people are staying home? Here’s what Mintel’s study found:
Among alcohol drinkers, 90% consume alcoholic beverages at home, compared to 77% who drink outside the home. Furthermore, those surveyed consume almost twice the amount of drinks at home in an average month than they do in restaurants or bars (10 vs. 5.7).
The nearly $80 billion off-premise alcoholic beverage market has grown 21% since 2004 as more consumers cut back on eating out in light of trying economic times. Drinkers are also cutting back in terms of the alcohol they’re purchasing for at-home consumption — 28% of respondents who drink alcoholic beverages at home have traded down to less expensive brands than last year to save money.
“In a price-sensitive environment, consumers may shy away from discretionary expenses, like alcohol, to save a few bucks,” says Garima Goel-Lal, senior analyst at Mintel. “About half of those who report drinking alcohol at home are drinking less than they did a year ago, but the market is still enjoying viability.”
While beer enjoys the largest share of market sales (48%), wine is the most popular alcoholic beverage consumed off-premise, with 67% of those who drink alcohol at home indulging in a glass. Distilled spirits are consumed by 57% of respondents and regular beer by 53%.
To me, the most interesting statistic is that drinking at home is causing people to have almost twice as much when they imbibe. In a sense, it’s like a backlash against people being afraid to drink when they’re out due to the efforts of neo-prohibitionists to create such anti-alcohol atmosphere. I wonder how that registers with their community? In fact, Join Together led with the bit about people drinking more, though you’d think that perhaps they’d be celebrating the fact that less people are driving to do their drinking.