The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world upside down. Security measures, closed eateries, hotels. Theoretically, this means a practical lack of opportunities for partying, releasing the brakes or spontaneous social meetings accompanied by (sometimes large) alcohol consumption.
But has alcohol consumption changed during isolation? The research results may surprise you!
Sales are increasing, consumption is decreasing
Pandemic trends in the demand for alcohol in 2020 can be presented on the example of Poland. What are the conclusions of the statistics? And the fact that Poles spent almost PLN 40 billion on alcohol in 2020! That is over a thousand zlotys a year "per head"! It is 7% more than in 2019. Nevertheless, according to a report prepared by Nielsen, although we spent more on alcohol, we drink less! What is the conclusion of this? And the fact that we just drink more and more.
It turns out that there is a growing interest in either more unique drinks or products of higher quality and price. Could this be the way Poles tried to compensate for the inability to go out to a bar or favorite restaurant?
What do we drink in a pandemic?
Although beer is still dominant in sales, its sales decreased by 1.6% compared to 2019 and amounted to a total of PLN 18 billion. Still, it is the "golden liquor" that accounts for almost half of the sales in the entire Polish alcohol industry. However, some changing trends can be noticed - more and more often we choose slightly more expensive beers, the so-called craft breweries focusing on smaller, local, more expensive, but more sophisticated production. And Poles like such flavors. Interestingly, the sales of non-alcoholic beers also increased significantly, which were not very popular a few years ago.
Although the beer position on the Polish alcohol market is unwavering so far, the sale of spirits has increased significantly. Pure vodka reigned supreme in the first months of the pandemic. This tendency was largely due to the "shopping run" in which a large part of the society fell, fearing a hard lockdown and problems with access to grocery stores. People bought vodka in liters "just in case" or "just in case".
In recent months, there has been a growing interest in more original or exotic strong alcohols. In 2020, 15% of total alcohol sales were for whiskey, 30% for rums, 26% for gins and just 8% for wine. Are citizens bored with the lockdown looking for entertainment in getting to know new tastes?
Big loser
In all this pandemic statistic, there is one big loser - cider. This tendency has been going on for several years, but already in the summer of 2020 it was strongly felt. But does this light, fruity drink need a special, social atmosphere to encourage consumption?
We drink out of boredom and fear
According to preliminary studies conducted at the Institute of Psychology of the University of Lodz, only 30% of respondents changed their way of consuming alcohol during the pandemic. Half of them drink more and the other half drink less than before the pandemic crisis. Nevertheless, specialists are sounding the alarm, because the protracted pandemic and isolation may favor the so-called risky alcohol consumption. An example would be drinking stress.
Constant tension from the media, frustration, isolation, insecurity, loss of old lifestyle. This can create tensions that need to be discharged. It is difficult to get through sports, traveling, meeting friends. People locked up in their apartments alone ... reach for a bottle and try to drink away their sorrows, looking for a release of accumulated tension. Others simply drink out of boredom, without other distractions, overwhelmed by the monotony of living within their own four walls.
Well… it turns out isolation is more conducive to consumption than the party lifestyle and the nightly pub crawl. It remains to be hoped that in a few months our lives will return to normal. We should also remember that there is nothing wrong with just consuming alcohol and getting to know new drinks - it's important to just do it in moderation!