Over the past year, Poles consumed 35 million hectoliters of beer and 62.3 million hectoliters of non-alcoholic beverages, spending a total of 25 billion PLN (5.75 billion EUR). This is 2.2 million hectoliters less beer than in the same period the previous year.
Despite buying less, the overall market value is rising because the cost of beer production is increasing. The decline in beer sales is due not only to Polish consumers' efforts to save money but also to changing habits related to alcohol consumption.
Declining beer sales drive NoLO trend in Poland
The NoLO trend, short version of "no alcohol" or "low alcohol," which was once seen as an eccentric fad, is now becoming a new trend in the Polish market, notes "Polityka."
Poles are choosing non-alcoholic drinks not just because of abstinence but also due to increased awareness of beer's caloric content.
Bartłomiej Mokrzycki, General Director of the Polish Brewers’ Employers Association, explained in an interview with the magazine that without the rapid increase in non-alcoholic beer consumption, the market would be in decline again.
Even major sporting events like the Euro or the Paris Olympics did not boost sales. According to him, the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited visits to pubs and restaurants, has also influenced changes in beer consumption habits.
Changing attitudes in Poland: Gen Z shuns alcohol for healthier choices
There have also been significant changes in attitudes towards alcohol among younger generations of Poles.
Dr. Paweł Wójcik from the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw, who specializes in consumer behavior research, explains that the increasing popularity of non-alcoholic beers among the so-called Generation Z or young adults is due to a cultural shift.
For years, beer was associated with strength, male friendship, and sociability."Breweries built their advertising on these associations, showing young men having fun with beer. That approach no longer works. Young people do not accept the macho style. For them, health, fitness, and environmental responsibility are more important," noted the expert.
While he believes this does not yet mean Poland has a generation of teetotalers, young Poles clearly disdain strong alcoholic beverages, with energy drinks and other alternatives becoming more prevalent in their choices.
Source: polityka.pl/tygodnik „Polityka” nr 35 (3478)
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