The Gender Pint Gap Revisited FINAL - Flipbook - Page 15
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THE GENDER PINT GAP: REVISITED/DRINKING HABITS
Commentary and Opportunities
Despite a prolific growth in the number of new breweries, brewing
ever more experimental and innovative beers, women don’t seem to
have been taken on this same journey, with a slight decline in the
number of women choosing beer over other categories.
It might be that an overwhelming and unfamiliar range of beers is
not necessarily a positive thing for women, and they default to
familiar ‘safe’ gender-neutral options such as wine and spirits in the
on-trade.
This theory also translates into the off-trade: the selection of beer
styles available on supermarket shelves is ever expanding and
therefore can be confusing for anyone unfamiliar with the category.
The Opportunity
A 2022 survey by Statista
reported that:
Nearly 60 percent of female
grocery shoppers living in
England, Northern Ireland, and
Wales did most, if not all, of the
food shopping for their
households.
In contrast, less than 30 percent
of male consumers in these
countries were their household's
designated food shopper.
The grocery beer aisles can be a
car crash if you’re a non-beer
drinker. It’s a place to grab a box
of whatever ‘he’ normally drinks
and move on. It’s not
somewhere to linger and
browse.
Stores have an opportunity to
create an environment in which
women feel comfortable and
included; give them a reason to
stop here, and supply them with
the knowledge and confidence
to make an informed purchase.
There is a definite shift in behaviour when women enter the 25-to34-year age bracket with over a third of them switching their
preference to spirits and cocktails - see right.
The Cocktail Effect
The Opportunity
A rise in the number of women
adopting cocktails as their drink of
choice is one to watch. Cocktails –
and spirits - are positioned as
gender-neutral drinks, usually
heavily promoted online and via
attractive eye-catching menus in
venues. They also offer the ability to
personalise (how dry do you want
your Martini?) and show off (for
example, Instagram). These are
trends that beer struggles with.
In a 2022 seminar, the author
and beer writer Pete Brown said:
“Younger drinkers are more
likely to decide on drinks choices
before getting to the venue. They
choose by looking at online
menus. 60% of them look at the
pub or bar website or social
media” and “…beer isn’t on online
menus”. This highlights the
mistake the on-trade is making
by failing to mention its beer
offer or make it visible.
They demand a premium price point
which appears not to be a purchase
deterrent. They benefit from the
theatre surrounding the serve
whereas beer is very much hidden
from view, usually dispensed from a
draught tap from the bowels of a
cellar.
The Student
In 2023, the Economist reported:
As consumers, members of
Generation Z (born between 1997 to
2012) are typically reliant on the
Internet to research their options
and to place orders.
They tend to be sceptical and will
shun brands whose actions and
values are contradictory. Their
purchases are heavily influenced by
trends promoted by "influencers" on
social media, as well as the fear of
missing out (FOMO) and peer
pressure. The need to be "trendy" is a
prime motivator.
Bring beer to the forefront on
the bar, make it aspirational and
‘Instagrammable’, and most of
all, make it visible to women (and
men) via on-line platforms – not
tucked away on a random page as
an afterthought.
The Opportunity
Influence is the key word here.
Who - or what - is influencing
students to drink beer? They
clearly enjoy the drink because
they choose it most frequently,
but brand owners need to tap
into their shared values.
Authenticity, honesty, and
transparency are critical to
engage this group of women, as
is being ‘on trend’. An
influential, empowered and
independent woman
representing beer could be the
key to unlocking this group.
