Highest off-trade spend in 3 years

Takehome alcohol continued as the highest-growing category of Fast Moving Consumer Goods, up 55% in the week ending the 3rd of May compared to the same week in 2019.

Over the eight weeks to May the 3rd consumer spend on beer, wine and spirits in the off-trade hit €343 million from €240 million over the same period in 2019.

This means that sales of alcohol jumped by €6 million per day during lockdown, according to Neilsen’s Brand Track Survey.

At €185.5 million in the four weeks from April the 6^th to May the 3^rd alcohol sales witnessed their highest spend of the past three years.

With the pub no longer being an option for consumers typical pub drinks such as stout witnessed a 155% sales increase while gin sales rose 35% according to Nielsen.

Where retail sales of alcohol in shops accounted for 8% of total retail sales in 2019, this rose to 13% of total sales during the lockdown.