The case in summary: Sales of non-alcoholic drinks at Vinmonopolet have increased by 20 per cent so far in 2024, while sales of alcohol have decreased slightly. Stores also report increasing sales of alcohol-free alternatives. The trend towards non-alcoholic drinks has been going on for a few years, and it is expected that this will continue. The increase in sales of non-alcoholic drinks could possibly be due to greater marketing and a wider range. It is uncertain whether the increase in the sale of non-alcoholic drinks means that total alcohol consumption is on the way down. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. So far in 2024, sales of non-alcoholic drinks at Vinmonopolet have increased by 20 per cent, while sales of alcohol have decreased slightly. This shows recent sales figures from Vinmonopolet. – And it comes on top of an increase last year too, which was 20 per cent, so the trend will only continue upwards, says managing director at Vinmonopolet, Elisabeth Hunter. The managing director of Vinmonopolet, Elisabeth Hunter, is pleased that sales of non-alcoholic drinks with them continue to increase. Photo: Glenn Rokeberg / Vinmonopolet The alcohol-free trend has been going on for a few years, and last year was a record year for the alcohol-free varieties. Now we are heading towards another record year. – I think that alcohol-free will only continue to increase. It will be very exciting to see how big that category can become, says Hunter. The festivals follow At the rock festival Tons of Rock in Ekebergsletta, there were separate bars that only sold non-alcoholic varieties of beer and drinks. It was an offer that festival participant Martin Haaker was delighted with. – I don’t drink alcohol any more, so it’s non-alcoholic. Then it’s absolutely fantastic that there are people like this here who offer slightly more exciting drinks than mineral water, he says. Martin Haaker bought three non-alcoholic drinks both for himself and others. Photo: Aleksander Nordengen Brevig / news news has been in contact with several festivals who say that they are following the alcohol-free trend and have expanded their offer. – I think that as a festival we should always grow in step with our audience. We may also see that the offer needs to be increased throughout, and that we have an audience that demands it, says press manager for Tons of Rock, Lars Tefre Baade. Lars Tefre Baade, press manager for Tons of Rock, was able to announce an extended alcohol-free offer. Photo: Aleksander Nordengen Brevig / news Do you drink beer, wine or non-alcoholic drinks? Yes, I don’t drink alcohol. No, I don’t like that. Sometimes it can be absolutely great. Show result Growth continues in the Norgesgruppen stores, which among other things own Kiwi and Meny, says that the increase in sales of non-alcoholic drinks this year is also registered with them. – We have seen good growth in the sale of non-alcoholic beer. Growth is around 8 per cent. We see that parallel to this, the sale of alcoholic beer is going down, says Kine Søyland, head of communications at Norgesgruppen. It is difficult to say whether this is related, because they are seeing a growth in alternative alcoholic drinks such as seltzer and cider. Communications manager at Norgesgruppen, Kine Søyland. Photo: Stein Eide / news But there is no doubt that non-alcoholic drinks are on the rise. – We see that the range has become wider, and that customers have had more to choose from within the alcohol-free segment, she says. I think this is the reason. Jørgen Bramness is professor of drug research at the University of Tromsø and senior researcher at the Institute of Public Health (FHI). He thinks the increase is very interesting. – In the past, we may have perceived drinking little or staying away from alcohol mostly as a trend on social media, but now we see that there are figures that can support this trend, and that people choose alcohol-free more often than before, says he. Professor of drug research at the University of Tromsø and senior researcher at the Institute of Public Health (FHI), Jørgen Bramness, finds it interesting that sales of non-alcoholic drinks continue to increase. Photo: Lilli Storrønningen Bramness believes that part of the reason for the increase is that Vinmonopolet and others who sell alcohol have become better at promoting alcohol-free. – And then there have been trends on social media with things like “NoLo”, “white January” and “sober October” which have made people aware that it is possible to have fun and be pleasant without drinking alcohol all the time, says he. But whether the increase also means that alcohol consumption is on the way down is uncertain. – I think that a large drop in alcohol use in the population as a whole is not to be expected. And at least not just on the basis of these numbers, he says. Believes people expect more Ragnhild Kaski, general secretary of the alcovet organization Av-og-til, believes the increase shows that the time when soft drinks and mineral water were the only alternative is over. – People simply expect more when they go out and enjoy themselves. We are happy that more and more restaurants, shops and festivals are keeping up with the times, she says. Ragnhild Kaski is general secretary of the alcovet organization Av-og-til. Photo: Thomas Brun / NTB She also believes that the increase is linked to greater acceptance of not drinking, trends on social media and the desire to be healthy. – It may be about making a good choice for the sake of your health. Maybe because you want a better training effect, or to avoid being hungover the next day, says Kaski. Published 05.07.2024, at 05.54
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Sales of non-alcoholic drinks continue to increase – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
