Top 6 consumer drinks trends of 2018

Half bottles

As the trend for drinking less but better shows no sign of slowing, Waitrose, Aldi and Tesco responded this year with new half bottle ranges. Consumers are keen to cut down on waste and curb their midweek drinking, and half bottles fit that remit perfectly.

“Millennials in particular are more concerned about the quantity of alcohol that they drink, so we hope this new range will help them manage portion control,” said Alexandra Runciman, Tesco’s product developer for wine, at the time of the launch.

Recent data from Nielsen has found that alcohol consumption is in decline, with Brits drinking one less alcoholic drink each week on average. Waitrose was the first supermarket to get in on the smaller serves act, adding a collection of half bottles to its range last October, including a Rioja, white Burgundy and Argentine Malbec.

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