WINE CONSUMER TRENDS IN COVID 19 ERA 180x180 - Press release: Wine enjoying mini-boom in the Covid-19 era, but dark economic clouds on horizon

For immediate release: 2nd October 2020

BEGINS: 

Wine enjoying mini-boom in the Covid-19 era, but dark economic clouds on horizon

Wine drinkers across key consumption markets have been turning more often to wine as a beverage during the Covid-19 pandemic, spurred by new ‘lockdown’ occasions and more drinking outside of mealtimes, according to a new report that will be published Monday, October 5th 2020.

Wine Consumer Trends in the Covid-19 Era draws on tracking data collected from nationally representative samples of wine drinkers in seven major wine consumption markets in April and August 2020.

The growth in wine consumption occasions comes as online sales of wine have exploded in markets where regulations permitted this channel, with younger and more involved wine drinkers leading the surge.

However, some of the data will raise concerns about the sustainability of this growth, given the deteriorating economic environment and possible pressure on household finances in the coming months. So far, many consumers have traded down in terms of their spend per bottle of wine to fund the increasing volume of purchase, and have returned to more mainstream, trusted brands at the expense of less well known and more pricey offerings.

Consumer responses about their broader economic behaviour also indicate a general tightening of belts will occur during the coming months, with household savings prioritised ahead of any large purchases, and the motivation to spend on luxuries, which initially surged in the early weeks of lockdown, has now subsided.

In most markets, the future of the on-premise channel and hospitality generally looks very uncertain. An increasing proportion of wine drinkers are not planning on going out to eat for the foreseeable future, and holidays and hotel stays are off the agenda for most. The only exceptions to this are in China and Germany, where popular opinion is more positive about these activities, and consumers appear more confident generally.

Commenting on the report, Wine Intelligence CEO Lulie Halstead said: “Our data earlier this year pointed to wine being one of the winners of lockdown, and this trend has solidified over the past few months. Producers and off-premise retailers with strategies focused on their heartland of high involved, frequent drinkers have found reward, while new occasions have prompted a different dynamic in terms of product and packaging.

“The worry for our category remains the extent and longevity of the economic downturn. Household finances across many markets are currently benefiting combination of job retention schemes and lack of spending on vacations and going out, but this may not last. The broader issue of consumer confidence in the economy, and in their own safety, may start to weigh on the category in 2021.”

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WIW story slide - Press release: Wine enjoying mini-boom in the Covid-19 era, but dark economic clouds on horizon

 

Wine Consumer Trends in the Covid-19 Era:

  • Growth in wine consumption frequency with the shift to at-home occasions more than compensating for the loss of on-premise occasions
  • Heartland wine drinkers driving growth with growth in wine coming from women, Gen X and those already connected with wine
  • Non-food occasions driving wine growth bringing opportunity for wine to migrate to occasions where other beverages have been more dominant in the past
  • Slow recovery in average bottle spend on wine in the off-premise, but remains below pre-pandemic levels in most markets
  • E-commerce for wine comes of age and it is rapidly becoming a new and habitual way of shopping for wine
  • Shift to wines seen as a safe choice and ‘localism’ with mainstream and local wine brands winning
  • Consumers increasingly cautious in their lifestyles with confident ‘Hedonist’ segment shrinking as 2020 progresses, and an increasing proportion of ‘Halters’ and ‘Reducers’
  • Large scale events off the agenda with consumers seeking to avoid crowds, even when restrictions are lifted and the current dangers of the pandemic have passed
  • Travel plans remain on hold with overseas and international travel not on the agenda for wine drinkers, even when travel restrictions are lifted
  • Consumers becoming more distant from the on-premise, shifting socializing patterns
  • Treat-seeking behavior losing momentum as consumer spending becoming more conservative
  • US wine market returns to growth as wine consumption frequency grew strongly in the US, driven by Millennials

Source: Wine Intelligence Wine Consumer Trends in the Covid-19 Era, published October 2020

 

Review copies of the report are available to accredited media, subject to standard terms of use. Please email Courtney to request your copy or arrange an interview with one of our industry experts.

About Wine Intelligence Ltd:

Wine Intelligence was founded in 2002 to support the global wine industry in understanding customers better. The company conducts insights and consultancy projects with trade and consumer respondents around the world and is now established as the world’s leading research-led insights, branding and marketing strategy consultancy for the wine sector. Our active clients, who include some of the largest wine businesses in the world, now number over 100 companies and organisations.

Wine Intelligence Press Contact: Courtney Abernathy