Are alcohol‐free and low‐alcohol drinks more expensive than regular‐strength drinks? A descriptive analysis of sales data from Great Britain, 2024

Abstract

Background and aims: Alcohol-free and low alcohol [no/lo; ≤1.2% alcohol by volume (ABV)] drinks are increasingly popular in some high-income countries and offer potential public health benefits if used as substitutes for regular-strength drinks; however, perceived high prices may deter people from buying these products. This paper explored whether no/lo drinks are more expensive than regular-strength drinks. We compared for no/lo and regular-strength drinks: (i) average prices and price distributions; (ii) prices of products matched on brand and pack size; and (iii) average prices across different multipack sizes, container sizes and container types (e.g. bottle vs. can). Design: Cross-sectional analysis of population-level, off-trade (i.e. shops) sales data. Setting: Great Britain, 2024. Cases: N = 21 147 no/lo and regular-strength stock-keeping units (SKUs, e.g. 6x300ml Heineken 0.0). Measurements: We analysed data from the market research company Circana. Analyses were stratified by beverage categories: beer, cider, wine, spirits and ready-to-drinks (RTDs). Our primary measures were median prices of all products available and median purchase prices (i.e. weighted by sales volume). Prices were per standard serving size for each beverage type. We used quantile regression to test differences in median prices. Findings: In 2024, the median price of no/lo drinks available was lower than for regular-strength drinks (ranging from beer −19% to wine −44%; P < 0.001), except for RTDs (11% higher; P = 0.390). In contrast, the purchase price of no/lo drinks was 7% higher for beer (P < 0.001), similar for cider (0.4% difference; P < 0.001) and lower for wine (−47%; P < 0.001), spirits (−10%; P < 0.001) and RTDs (−31%; P < 0.001). Top-selling no/lo products were cheaper than matched regular-strength products of the same brand and pack size. For example, 15 of the 17 top-selling no/lo beers were between 6% and 42% cheaper than their regular-strength equivalents; however, the top-selling no/lo products were primarily premium brands, and no/lo beers and ciders were typically sold in smaller, less cost-efficient pack and container sizes. Conclusions: In Great Britain, the alcohol-free and low alcohol (no/lo) products available to buy in the off-trade (i.e. in shops) are cheaper on average than regular-strength drinks, but people still tend to pay more for no/lo beer than regular-strength beer and pay a similar price for no/lo cider as regular-strength cider. This discrepancy is partially because no/lo beers and ciders are often sold in smaller, less cost-efficient pack and container sizes. The premium branding of top-selling no/lo products may also contribute to higher prices.