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Report
en_GB
Getting their premium variants into the discounters' mid-aisle promotions offers a key route for brands to drive visibility among a lucrative audience. One in five category buyers buy beer from…
UK
Beer and Cider
simple
UK Beer Market Report 2025
"Aligning with alcohol moderation is crucial for beer brands. Seasonal/limited-edition flavours will help prompt impulse purchase and build brand differentiation."
Getting their premium variants into the discounters’ mid-aisle promotions offers a key route for brands to drive visibility among a lucrative audience. One in five category buyers buy beer from discount supermarkets, a presence here offers a means to reach people in the position to buy pricier products outside of these short promotional periods.
Ongoing pressure on household incomes, weak consumer confidence and growing alcohol moderation have dampened volume sales of beer in 2025. Price rises, pressures on the on-trade and the effects of EPR, have driven up value sales despite the weak volumes.
Alcohol moderation is set to grow further in 2025-30, making further development of low-/no-alcohol versions crucial for beer brands to maintain sales. Emphasising low-/no-alcohol beers’ refreshing qualities will help boost take-up of these variants given the importance of this in drinks choices.
Aligning with the alcohol moderation trend in other ways, such as by promoting smaller and mixed serves, is also vital, given that many consumers favour brands which endorse moderate drinking.
Key Issues Covered in the Report
The impact of the income squeeze on value and volume sales of beer in the on- and off-trade
Frequency of drinking beer and usage of different types/varieties of beer, including craft and low-/no-alcohol
Demographic patterns in beer usage
Key factors prompting purchase of a beer not bought before, including in-store displays, social media and the influence of friends/family.
Consumer attitudes towards calories in beer, and views of lower-calorie variants
Consumer perceptions of low-/no-alcohol beer, including refreshment and calories
Trends in launch activity, and opportunities for further innovation
This Report looks at the UK market for beer sold in both the on-trade, ie out-of-home outlets such as pubs, restaurants and clubs where the drink is consumed on the premises, and the off-trade market, eg supermarkets, online, off-licences and convenience stores.
The UK beer market is divided into three main segments, lager, ale and stout. Spirit- and fruit-flavoured beers are also included within lager in this Report. Barley wine, alcoholic ginger beer and bitter are also included within ales in this Report. Porter – a dark style of beer made from brown malt – is included within the definition of stout.
Graph 11: trends in the age structure of the population, 2020-25 and 2025-30
Market factors – beer retail price inflation
Graph 12: RPI inflation for beer and all items, 2021-25
Advertising spend on beer
Graph 13: above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising on beer^, 2021-25
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology
Other data source methodologies
Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Abbreviations
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Aligning with alcohol moderation is crucial for beer brands. Seasonal/limited-edition flavours will help prompt impulse purchase and build brand differentiation.
Alice Baker, Food and Drink Analyst
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