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Recently, Japan's largest beer manufacturer, Asahi Beer, said that it would vigorously develop zero-alcohol and low-alcohol beverage products. Industry data also shows that non-alcoholic beer is becoming more and more popular with consumers in the pursuit of health.
CNBC Jiang Yu: When the weekend comes, will you choose to go for a drink with your friends? And when choosing a drink, do you consider the alcohol content? Recently, we have observed that as more and more consumers begin to pay attention to health, non-alcoholic beers are defined as non-alcoholic or very low-alcohol beer beverages.
Since its inception, non-alcoholic beer has been in the awkward position of being like alcohol but not alcohol. However, recent industry data and statements from beverage giants show that the sub-category of non-alcoholic beer is gradually becoming a new consumer trend in the beer industry.
According to the latest data from IWSR, an international wine and spirits research organization, the market for non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beer has exceeded $13 billion in 2023, and the share of non-alcoholic beer in the overall alcohol market is expected to grow to nearly 4% by 2027.
Another tracking report by IWSR also points to a growing trend among younger generations of consumers who are showing a growing habit of not drinking alcohol or drinking only in moderation. According to the report, a significant proportion of young consumers who have reached the legal drinking age in the world's major beer consumption markets are now completely non-alcoholic, with Japan having the highest rate of young consumers not drinking, with 63% of consumers aged 18 to 26 claiming not to have drunk alcohol in the past six months.
According to IWSR's chief operating officer, this trend of moderate drinking is becoming popular not only in Japan, but also in North America, Europe, and Asia. Some analysts pointed out that this phenomenon belongs to the generational difference in the beverage industry.
Edward Mundy, beverage industry analyst at Jefferies Group, an American investment bank: Young people still drink alcohol, but maybe less often, with a lower alcohol concentration, and young people don't necessarily like to drink the drinks that their parents love, and we often see generational differences in the beverage industry, and I think sweet drinks are more popular with young people now.
In response to the trend of healthy consumption, many beverage giants have also begun to increase the size of non-alcoholic beer. The CEO of Asahi Brewery, Japan's largest brewer, recently made a bold prediction that zero- or low-alcohol beverages will account for half of the company's sales by 2040. Previously, in an interview with CNBC, Suntory's CEO also said that Suntory has observed new consumer trends and launched more zero-alcohol and low-alcohol beverages for consumers to choose from.
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Editor: Angel