By Simon Man
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September 13, 2020
If you live in UK or Europe, the term Dry January would sound very familiar. Recovering after a boozy Christmas and New Year’s, this is the time of year that people swear on a healthier lifestyle. Health trends are nothing new, they come and they go. More recently consumers seem to be more in tune with health and in doing so, new trends and products appear to emerge. There are more plant based brands out there than ever before and plat based protein is becoming ever more prevalent as people seek out plant based substitutes for meat as an ethical and health alternative. There has also been a uptrend of fermented and probiotic rich foods as newer superfoods make appearances. These food trends seems to be gaining momentum in 2020, even during Covid-19, we see the exercise equipment market boom as in-home workouts became the norm and outdoor running became an escape from the monotony of being house bound retaining some sort of freedom. People are now becoming increasing aware of their fitness and health & wellbeing. This isn’t an isolated trend and seems to have had a knock on effect on other categories, especially the beverage scene. People are drinking less today than ever before, not out of regulation but out of choice. In 2016 it had been reported that the annual global alcohol consumption market dropped by 1.4% two years running. There many reasons resulting in this decline and for the surging popularity of the low-to-no alcoholic (LNA) beverage industry such as religious or social reasons. The APAC regions growth of LNA can be attributed to increasing consumer awareness combined with the growing demand in majority Muslim regions such as Indonesia and Malaysia. With industrialisation, rising health awareness, shifting consumer ‘moments’ along with large consumer bases in China, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, these will further increase market growth.