The number of Americans who both look after their health and enjoy drinking alcohol is growing — and for savvy convenience store retailers in states that permit them to sell adult beverages, that spells opportunity.
While healthy trends have seen innovation growth in every category to varying degrees, alcoholic beverages have undergone a health kick, too.
“Yes, we’re seeing healthy and wellness trends impact alcoholic beverage consumption,” said Gary Hemphill, managing director of research for Beverage Marketing Corp., based in New York City. “The impact of health and wellness has certainly had more impact with non-alcoholic beverages, but the trends have to some extent crossed over to alcohol. For example, products with fewer calories and carbs have seen success. There is also heightened demand for no-alcohol versions of traditionally alcoholic products.”
Along with Dry January, some customers are choosing to go without alcohol for Sober October or during the Lenten season before Easter. Stocking mocktails and non-alcoholic beer during these times in particular could be beneficial.
Additionally, health-conscious consumers are doing the research and finding out which alcoholic beverages cater to a healthier lifestyle. Indeed, while alcohol is generally not healthy, certain types are healthier than others.
For example, red wine, low-sugar cocktails, light beer and cider fall into this category.
Of course, the markets for these healthier options differ from store to store, so certain areas may see better results than others when it comes to healthier alcoholic beverage sales.
Still, healthy trends don’t seem to be going away. Although they’re not always the most prominent segment in different categories, a growing population is curious to try healthier options from time to time, and being ahead of the game when it comes to product selection will put these retailers on the map as destinations for the health-conscious consumer population.
