Press Release Summary = In 2001, UK consumers spent £35.05bn on alcoholic drinks and a further £7.55bn on soft drinks, which together represented around 6% of total consumer expenditure. Within the total of £42.6bn spent on drinks, £16.6bn fell into the category of take-home drinks, or the `off-trade\', so that catering and the `on-trade\', such as pubs, still accounted for a much higher share of spending on drinks than the take-home market.
Press Release Body = The Take Home Trade: Market Report
In 2001, UK consumers spent £35.05bn on alcoholic drinks and a further £7.55bn on soft drinks, which together represented around 6% of total consumer expenditure. Within the total of £42.6bn spent on drinks, £16.6bn fell into the category of take-home drinks, or the `off-trade\', so that catering and the `on-trade\', such as pubs, still accounted for a much higher share of spending on drinks than the take-home market.
Wine is the most important alcoholic drink sold to take home, while beer is more dominant in the on-trade, and in the drinks market as a whole. Wine has driven take-home growth, as Continental eating and drinking habits have been adopted by UK consumers. However, beer and spirits are also important, and there are substantial take-home markets for cider and the currently fashionable category of flavoured alcoholic beverages (FABs), such as Bacardi Breezer. Soft drinks make up another substantial category, there being an ever-broadening range of flavours and styles of packaged drink on the shelves, many of which are targeted at adults rather than children. This report covers the market.