One-third of British adults who drink (33%) say they are drinking less alcohol than they were 12 months ago, according to new YouGov polling data.
Among those who have cut back, the most common reason is a reduced desire to drink. Over half (51%) of the 26,163 British adults who drink surveyed cited this as their reason for moderating intake.
Financial considerations are also a notable factor, with a third (33%) of respondents stating they can no longer afford to drink as much as they previously did.
Health concerns rank third, with 29% of respondents giving them as the reason they have cut back.
Beyond the top three reasons, a small number of respondents pointed to specific external factors. One in 10 (10%) said their friends or family have started drinking less, while 8% cited medication as a reason.
The figures are likely to cause further consternation among alcohol suppliers, with many already struggling after several years of sluggish sales and rising costs.
“Driven by health awareness, wellness-focused lifestyles and shifting social norms, many consumers are choosing to drink less alcohol,” said Susie Goldspink, head of low & no insights at market research firm IWSR.
However, rather than abstaining completely, most consumers were “blending no, low and full-strength options, depending on the occasion”, Goldspink added.
Tapping this trend, retailers have expanded choice across mid-strength and low & no-alcohol. M&S, for example, expanded its mid-strength offer by 25% last month.
Ocado, meanwhile, has championed moderation by listing dedicated mid-strength brands including Quarter Proof, Small Beer and 6Percent.
Quarter Proof recently sealed a bricks & mortar grocery debut, claimed to be the first for a mid-strength spirit brand, in Sainsbury’s.
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