The boss of Tesco has said Brits are set to drink less booze this Christmas amid an increased interest in healthy lifestyles.
Chief executive Ken Murphy said he believes there could be a ‘more moderate Christmas’ when it comes to drinking.
It comes as supermarkets and major food and drinks firms battle to adapt to a trend of people drinking less alcohol.
An increased uptake in people using weight-loss jabs is also thought to be influencing this. Medications such as Mounjaro can make drinking less appealing because it changes how the brain responds to pleasure as well as causing side effects including feeling sick.
But in addition to the popularity of such GLP-1 jabs, Murphy said the grocer was also seeing a ‘general trend toward healthier living’, which began during the Covid pandemic and continues to grow.
Tesco boss Ken Murphy said there could be a ‘more moderate Christmas’ when it comes to drinking this year.
He said: ‘I do think it could be a marginally healthier Christmas. Although customers do love to indulge, and we have planned accordingly.
‘We would say that there might be a more moderate Christmas from an alcohol point of view. We think low and no alcohol will see strong growth.’
The grocer has launched alcohol-free mocktail cans with flavours including Amaretto Sour, Passion Fruit and Pina Colada.
Murphy said weight-loss jabs were a ‘component’ of a ‘broader trend’, rather than a sole ‘driver’ of people drinking less and eating differently.
But Murphy said there would still be plenty of merriment across the UK this Christmas, with households set to splash out and indulge despite economic pressures.
He added: ‘I think that consumers, actually in the UK, have been pretty resilient in a very uncertain environment, and my sense is that customers will want to enjoy Christmas, given all that’s going on in the world around them.’
And for those who find the prospect of a sober Christmas galling, Murphy said booze categories that he expects will boom include pre-mixed and ready-to-drink cocktails.
When it comes to food, customers are also seeking out products that contain high amounts of protein and fibre, he said.
This has influenced the company to increase its ranges of nutritious ready meals and high-fibre bakery goods.
Laura Tudor, trading manager of low and no alcohol at Waitrose, said sales in the category have risen 66 per cent over the past year.
She predicts that mocktails – cocktails that don’t have any alcohol in – will be popular over Christmas, with customers ‘looking for elevated options’ such as premium alcohol-free spirits and mixers. Searches for these types of drinks were up 325 per cent this month compared to last month, she added.
Drinks giant Diageo has launched a trial range of ‘mid-strength’ spirits, which have 20 per cent ABV compared to the standard 37.5 per cent. They have launched versions of Gordon’s, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan.
DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS
Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.