Gen Z is driving sales of boxed and canned wine, according to new data from Ocado.
Some lines on the online-only retailer are up by more than 200%. Tins of M&S California Rosé are up by 541% in the year to 28 July 2025, while Nice Pale French Rosé boxes have grown sales by 559%. Canned Wine Co’s Gamay is also up by 212%.
The increase was being driven by younger consumers turning to “more convenient and sustainable formats”, after being influenced on social media, said Ocado.
Younger legal drinking age consumers were “more open to non-traditional packaging” than their older counterparts, the retailer said, citing survey data by Savanta.
Almost three in five (59%) younger consumers were happy to drink wine from a box or a can, compared to just 44% and 35% of the wider population, according to the data. Meanwhile over half (53%) of Gen Z respondents said they had been directly influenced by social media to try boxed or canned wine.
Nearly three in five (59%) Gen Z drinkers said they saw boxed wine as the more sustainable choice, while less than half (46%) of the general population agreed. When it came to convenience, two-thirds (66%) of younger consumers said boxed wine was better suited to social occasions, compared to 56% of the wider population.
Almost six in 10 (57%) of Gen Z drinkers stated their belief that the quality of boxed wine had improved in recent years.
English wine sales up
Sales of English wine were also up 17% year on year on Ocado, with rising demand driven by “a growing appetite for locally produced options”, according to the retailer.
Ocado now stocks 20 M&S English wines, including two available in cans.
“We’re seeing two distinct but connected trends in the wine aisle: the rise of alternative formats like boxed wine, and the growing popularity of English wines,” said Vanessa Pearson, BWS trading manager at Ocado Retail. “Both are being driven by younger shoppers who are prioritising convenience, sustainability, and quality.
“These formats offer flexibility, especially in the summer, while the locally sourced movement aligns with the more conscious choices that customers are making.
“At Ocado Retail, we’re expanding our range to cater to such demands, making it easier for customers to discover new ways to enjoy wine.”
It comes after Vinarchy added two new boxed wines from Jam Shed and Echo Falls earlier this month, citing “booming” demand for the format.
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