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UK no and low market more than doubles year-on-year in 2024

Beer reigns supreme in the UK’s no and low alcohol space, with the category witnessing a major boost in recent years caused in part by recent duty changes.

UK no and low market more than doubles year-on-year in 2024

The latest IWSR data has revealed that the no and low alcohol category in the UK has experienced a one-off boost to low-alcohol volumes in the past couple of years, caused by duty changes and beer-focused ABV realignments.

As a result, the total UK no and low market is expected to have more than doubled in 2024 versus 2023.

Beer continues to be the hero of the no and low story. Preliminary data shows no-alcohol beer grew 20% in 2024 vs 2023.

Alcohol-free beer now accounts for more than 2% of total beverage alcohol market sales in the UK, highlighting just how big a part the subcategory is beginning to play in the overall drinks sector.

Growing popularity and increasing availability are driving organic growth.

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Gen X and Boomer consumers are particularly partial to a non-alcoholic brew, and the beer subcategory of no and low drinks holds less resonance among trendsetting younger audiences.

No-alcohol beer and cider are among the least popular beverages among younger LDA groups, with only 22% of Gen Zs purchasing them.

The category as a whole has witnessed a boom in popularity in recent years, but sales are expected to flatline in the longer term.

Growth of no-alcohol spirits has slowed, but is expected to have grown +7% in 2024 vs 2023.

While sales of low-alcohol wine fell -5% in 2024 vs 2023, no-alcohol wine grew by +8%.

Barriers to growth prevail. No and low has increased its on-trade presence, but no-alcohol beer still dominates, skewing towards older drinkers. Securing and maintaining shelf-space in retail is increasingly challenging, particularly against the large presence of no-alcohol beer, and inhibits the continuing growth of the category as a whole.

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