Demand for Non-Alcoholic Drinks Rises for Dry January

Data Shows Increased Consumer Demand for Non-Alcoholic Drinks in January

Sobriety trends show no signs of slowing as new data from ecommerce accelerator, Pattern, demonstrates higher demand for non-alcoholic beverages in January 2023 compared to the annual average. Not only that, but demand for alcoholic drinks saw a historic decline from 2022 – 2023 as a whole.  

‍Why it matters: As retailers prepare for Dry January — an annual, month-long celebration of detoxification following the holiday season — they may need to consider increasing their inventory of non-alcoholic beverages to satisfy growing consumer demand.  

‍What we’re seeing: We analyzed the most commonly searched for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on Amazon U.S. Marketplace for all of 2022 and 2023 to identify fluctuations in consumer demand. Here’s how demand for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks changed year over year:

• Demand for Non-Alcoholic Drinks increased by +72.96% from 2022 – 2023
• Alcoholic Beverages -16.97%

Moreover: This trend appears to repeat when comparing search data for January 2023 to the annual average for all of 2023. While demand for alcoholic beverages was slightly up, it paled in comparison to the surge in demand for non-alcoholic drinks:

• Demand for Non-Alcoholic Drinks increased by 19% in January 2023 compared to the annual average
• Alcoholic Beverages +4%

Drilling down: We wanted to take this analysis one step further and see how demand for specific types of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were impacted by the Dry January trend. Here’s what we found:

• Demand for Non-Alcoholic Spirits increased by 90% in January 2023 compared to the annual average
• Non-Alcoholic Whiskey +77%
• Non-Alcoholic Vodka +52%
• Non-Alcoholic Beer +36%
• Non-Alcoholic Wine +36%

Yes, but: Some alcoholic beverages still experienced a significant increase in demand during Dry January compared to the annual average. Here are the alcoholic drinks that still remain popular despite sobriety trends:

• Demand for Champagne increased by +49% during January 2023 compared to the annual average
• Wine +45%
• Whiskey +32%
• Vodka +18%
• Tequila +7%

The takeaway: Rising sobriety trends around Dry January in particular seem to have a big impact on demand for non-alcoholic beverages. As customers demonstrate a clear preference for non-alcoholic drinks, retailers would be wise to stock up on their non-alcoholic offerings ahead of the annual cleanse.  Pattern’s data science team analyzed demand data on Amazon during every day of 2022 and 2023 to understand trends in sobriety this year and where they’re likely to fall next year.

If you’re interested in powering your ecommerce strategy using insights like these, contact our team for more information.