Drinks Association members who subscribe to Shopper Intelligence will shortly be receiving access to the latest read on shopper behaviour in the off-premise.
This update, covering the 12 months to June this year, will close out a financial year full of twists and turns for shoppers and the industry alike.
With that in mind, our liquor team has been scanning the details once again in search of the themes your shoppers want you to know about and what they’ll be keeping an eye on as we continue past the inflationary shocks.
1. Shoppers know more (again)…
One of the biggest indicators of improving price satisfaction is an increase in the number of shoppers who feel that they know “the normal price for what they usually buy” when shopping for their liquor of choice.
At this time in 2022, a net of nearly 70% of shoppers agreed with that statement in the category they were buying, but by 2023 it had slumped to just over half.
Today, however, we’ve made our way back up to a net agreement score of 64%.
Beer is performing best on this metric but Cider and RTDs are lagging the market with under 60%.
While the total market is still short of the 2022 high, it shows that shoppers can adapt to inflation once the shock wears off, and we’d expect this to continue to improve in the year to come.
2. …but they also expect more!
Prices matter, but perceptions are shifting.
We see big increases in importance of the overall value of a product relative to its price (value for money, you might say!), around areas such as:
- The category helping responsible drinking.
- Innovation and appealing new offers.
- Being able to notice the difference in quality when buying premium.
Out of all eighteen factors we measure for importance these were the top four strongest increases versus last year.
And the price related attributes?
Dead last.
Bottom four.
They’re still highly important, make no mistake, but good prices are certainly not the end of the story for many shoppers in 2025.
That is where a big opportunity lies for the industry. Where importance increased the most wasn’t around good prices, but the ability to “easily identify what's best value for money.”
It can’t just be a big ticket with a small price on shelf.
3 – Spring is just around the corner
Now is an exciting time to take advantage of this desire for a little bit extra as we come into spring.
Spring means sun, it means outdoor lunches and it means finals. For those of us suffering through bone-chilling winters it cannot come soon enough!
We thought we’d leave you with a few categories we are keeping an eye on as we head into the warmer months.
Tequila had a breakout last spring with a huge increase in the number of shoppers buying it to drink while watching sport and to drink at BBQs.
We see this as a great category in which to dial up product attributes and occasions right the way through from pre-store advertising, through to on-shelf execution.
Meanwhile, Sémillon came into its own as a drink to kick start the evening – coming in higher than RTDs and spirits, and just short of Contemporary Beer.
Wine has its challenges, but as we heard a retailer say recently, “It’s time to be brave.”
There is definitely a chance to be taken by doing something different in wine.
Finally, Craft Beer sales might be more modest than they once were, but that hasn’t prevented a doubling in the rate of shoppers buying the category to drink before or after a meal at someone else’s home. Another area in the store where there is real potential to dial up occasions and occasion-based shopping needs.
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To find out more, email kevin.vo@shopperintelligence.com.au.
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