Stay ahead of the curve and future-proof your business with Mintel’s UK Beer Market Report 2023. Our full report is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, the latest beer market research, trends and consumer behaviours affecting your business. Get a 360° view of the UK beer market including market size, share and forecasted growth to help you align your business strategy with the needs of your audience.
Below, we’ve handpicked the key insights analysed in the full report and summarised the core topics.
Topics Analysed in this Report
- The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on value and volume sales in the UK beer market.
- Shifts in purchase channels for the beer industry over 2021-23.
- Trends in launch activity for the beer industry, and opportunities for further innovation.
- Principal barriers to drinking beer.
- Factors deemed worth paying more for in beer.
- Occasions for which people would choose a premium or craft beer.
UK Beer Market Outlook
The UK beer market saw volumes decline in 2023 as the income squeeze hit discretionary spending, inflation in the category exacerbating this. The alcohol moderation trend poses a significant threat to the beer industry, this and alcohol avoidance being the primary barriers to drinking beer.
Beer Industry Trends and Opportunities
Renewed focus on at-home occasions
Marketing messages centred on how a brand’s drink enhances at-home socialising occasions are especially relevant to encourage trading up to premium variants in retail, while people limit going out amid the continuing income squeeze.
- Beer market UK trend: 27% of beer drinkers are prepared to upgrade to a craft/premium beer for a celebration at home.
Exploration of beer and soft drink mixing
Recipes for traditional drinks mixing beer with soft drinks, such as shandy, or premixed versions of the same, are an under-explored opportunity for brands to build engagement among consumers. These drinks can also help the category to align with the low and no alcohol trend.
- Beer industry opportunity: 79% of 18-34 year olds are interested in classic mixed drinks, such as shandy.
Purchase our UK Beer Market Report to receive a five-year forecast, consumer behaviour analysis, and recommendations for market opportunities. Readers of this report may also be interested in our UK Cider Market Report 2023, or our range of Beer Market Research.
Brands Featured in the Full Report
Peroni, Asahi, Kopparberg, Brewdog, Tiny Rebel, Northern Monk, Heineken, Molson Coors, San Miguel.
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Expert Insights from a Drinks Analyst
This report, written by Alice Baker, a leading research analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight trends in the beer industry and add expert context to the numbers.
The beer market has faced cutbacks amid the income squeeze. Aligning with the alcohol moderation trend will be crucial looking ahead.
Alice Baker
Food and Drink Analyst
Collapse All
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- Key issues covered in this report
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Executive summary
- Opportunities for the beer market
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Graph 1: retail value sales of beer, by segment, 2021-23
- Graph 2: retail value sales of lager, by top five brands, 2020/21-22/23
- What consumers want and why
- Graph 3: usage frequency for beer, by age group and how people describe their household finances, 2023
- Graph 4: barriers to drinking beer, 2023
- Graph 5: attributes deemed worth paying more in beer, 2023
- Graph 6: occasions for which people would buy a craft/premium beer, 2023
- Graph 7: behaviours relating to beer, 2023
- Innovation and marketing
- Graph 8: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising on beer, by top three advertisers (sorted by 2022), 2021-23
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Market dynamics
- Market size
- Graph 9: total value sales of beer, 2018-23
- Market forecast
- Graph 10: projected growth decline in total value and volume sales of beer, 2023-28
- Graph 11: growth/decline in value and volume sales of beer, 2008-14
- Channels to market
- Graph 12: volume beer sales by on- and off-trade channel, 2018-23
- Graph 13: value beer sales by on- and off-trade channel, 2018-23
- Graph 14: estimated on-trade beer value and volume sales growth/decline, 2023
- Retail market segmentation
- Graph 15: retail value sales of beer, by segment, 2021-23
- Graph 16: retail volume sales of beer, by segment, 2021-23
- Market share
- Graph 17: retail value sales of lager, by top five brands, 2020/21-22/23
- Graph 18: retail value and volume sales growth/decline for the top five lager brands and own-label, 2022/23*
- Graph 19: retail value sales of ale/stout/bitter, by top five brands, 2020/21-22/23
- Graph 20: retail value and volume sales growth/decline for top five stout/ale/bitter brands and own-label, 2022-23*
- Macro-economic factors
- Graph 21: GDP, 2021-23
- Graph 22: CPI inflation rate, 2021-23
- Graph 23: “Have you been affected by any of these issues over the last two months? Please select all that apply.”, 2023
- Graph 24: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-23
- Graph 25: the financial confidence index, 2016-23
- Graph 26: RPI inflation for beer and all items, 2022-23
- Social, environmental and legal factors
- Graph 27: alcohol moderation and non-usage, 2022-23
- Graph 28: trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2023-28
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What consumers want and why
- Usage of beer
- Graph 29: usage of beer, 2021-23
- Graph 30: usage frequency for beer, by age group and how people describe their household finances, 2023
- Graph 31: usage of beer, by type, by age group, 2023
- Graph 32: usage of beer, by variety, 2022 and 2023
- Graph 33: usage of low-/no-alcohol beer, by age group, 2023
- Barriers to drinking beer
- Graph 34: barriers to drinking beer, 2023
- Graph 35: interest in traditional drinks mixing beer with soft drinks, by age group, 2023
- Attributes deemed worth paying more for in beer
- Graph 36: attributes deemed worth paying more in beer, 2023
- Graph 37: selected any attributes as worth paying more for in beer (netted), 2023
- Graph 38: those who would pay more for beer with a high alcohol content, by age group, 2023
- Occasions for which people would buy a craft/premium beer
- Graph 39: occasions for which people would buy a craft/premium beer, 2023
- Graph 40: those saying that buying premium soft/alcoholic drinks for at-home social gathering makes you look good, by age, 2023
- Graph 41: occasions for which people would buy a craft/premium beer, by usage of craft beer, 2023
- Behaviours relating to beer
- Graph 42: behaviours relating to beer, 2023
- Graph 43: those saying that buying beer from local breweries helps support one’s local community, by how people describe their household finances, 2023
- Graph 44: interest in beer from another favourite drinks brand, by age group, 2023
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Innovation and marketing trends
- Launch activity and innovation
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Graph 45: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising on beer, by top three advertisers (sorted by 2022), 2021-23
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Brand research
- Graph 46: usage of selected beer brands in the last 12 months, by age group, 2023
- Graph 47: those describing the analysed brands as either a favourite or preferred brand (nets), 2023
- Graph 48: perceptions of selected beer brands as good value and worth paying more for, 2023
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Appendix
- Supplementary data
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Methodology
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