New Zealanders have adopted maturing drinking behaviours, according to industry leaders who highlighted the issue.
A recently released industry survey points to a maturing in the way New Zealanders drink. Completed in October last year and released a month after that, the annual survey of 1,000 New Zealanders sheds some light not only on why people are drinking less but also on how they are going about this.
“We all know that, overall, the amount we drink has been coming down for decades and is at an all time low per capita,” said Spirits NZ CEO, Robert Brewer.
“What we now see more clearly is this is about the way we drink rather than just what we drink,” he added.
Brewer said that there were certainly noticeable trends that stood out amongst emerging consumer behaviours.
“For spirits, and in particular the ever-popular cocktail, almost 40 percent of those surveyed say they consume these premium drinks more slowly than other drinks. We call this the “sip and savour” approach, which we’ve been observing in the market for a few years now.”
He added that drinkers that pace themselves while drinking is an important indicator of good, social drinking habits.
“In simple terms, we’re simply slowing down, which is a good thing and certainly indicates a maturing in the way we drink.”
Five out of six New Zealanders (83.4 percent) drink beer, wine and spirits responsibly, and there has been an across-the-board decline in different measures of riskier drinking as compared to 2016/17.
The survey goes on to reveal that 62 percent of respondents tried a premium drink in the last 12 months with the main reason for choosing premium being taste (62 percent), a special occasion (53 percent) and quality (51 percent). And the poll also gives us insight into why people are drinking less, with staying under the blood alcohol limit being the most important (78 percent).
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