Convenience retailers could increase sales of no- and low-alcohol beer by £660 on average this year, according to Asahi UK.

The supplier says the category is under-indexing in convenience, where it accounts for 0.7% of beer sales. By comparison, it makes up 2.9% of beer sales in multiples.

Steve Young, sales director at Asahi UK, said: “The category is under-developed in convenience stores, but retailers can fix this by stocking just four key products to create a credible range.

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“Retailers should offer Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% 4x330ml as it is the top alcohol-free beer by rate of sale in impulse. Seventy per cent of no- and low-alcohol beer sold in impulse stores is in four-packs, with this format growing at 30%. Single bottle is the second-biggest segment with 6% of sales, but this area is declining at -7%.”

Raising no- and low-alcohol sales to the same level as in the multiples would generate £32m in sales in convenience, or £660 per store.

This is based on the Association of Convenience Store’s estimate that there are 48,590 convenience stores in the UK.

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Additionally, January was the most successful on record for no- and low-alcohol products. No- and low-alcohol beer was 4.6% of the beer market in multiples, up from 4% in January 2022. In the 12 weeks to 28 January, no- and low-alcohol beer grew by 13.7%, while total beer grew by 0.6%.

Newer products, such as Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% and Guinness 0.0%, added the most value to the category. “With increased awareness, media exposure and higher-quality NPD, we should expect the no- and low-alcohol category to keep growing,” Young said.

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