Retailers Adopt New Strategies, Tap Current Trends To Attract Younger Drinkers

Beverage alcohol retailers are embracing new marketing strategies and inventory trends to cater to the latest crop of legal-drinking-age consumers. Savvy retailers are drawing young adults to their stores with short-form social media video platforms, convenient offerings, and socially conscious products.

“Short-form video is the best way to engage with young adults online and introduce them to our offerings,” says Mike Fisch, director of innovation at Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, which has four stores in New Jersey and one in Napa, California. “It’s much more likely short-form videos end up in the ‘For You’ and ‘Explore’ sections on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, and this content increases the chances we will organically be discovered by users of these platforms.”

At Gary’s stores, younger adults drove strong 2022 sales of Aperol ($24 a 750-ml.), On The Rocks Cosmopolitan ($12 a 375-ml), and High Noon variety packs ($12 an eight-pack of 335-ml. cans). “Across wine, Moët Hennessy remains dominant in their ability to engage with younger consumers through marketing, demonstrated by sales for Veuve Clicquot Brut ($52.09 a 750-ml.) in 2022, which was our top selling wine across all categories,” Fisch says.

Healthier drinking trends are driving sales at three-store chain Mendez Fuel in Miami. “The younger generation likes to know what they are drinking and that it isn’t going to be bad for them,” says vice president of operations Andrew Mendez, adding that Instagram reels are the go-to marketing tool to attract young adults. “Natural wines are by far one of my biggest sellers among young adults. They find it more intriguing than regular wine. They like to know that what they are drinking has no additives. We carry about 100 natural wine brands. Gulp/Hablo orange wine ($20 a liter) is one of my best-selling natural wines.”

Non-alcoholic beer and other zero-alcohol beverages are also becoming popular. “Non-alcoholic products are really taking off and they’re not going away,” Mendez says, noting that non-alcoholic beer is doing well. “The category is growing, and I’m trying to keep up with it.” Market Watch has more.

Tagged : Aperol, Gary's Wine & Marketplace, High Noon, Mendez Fuel, Moet Hennessy, On the Rocks, Veuve Clicquot

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