This is the first time Mintel has produced a separate report looking at the market for and developments in on-trade alcohol. On-trade alcohol sales have grown steadily during the past decade but this disguises an underlying trend of decline in real terms – much of the increase being due to tax and price increases rather than volume growth.

The current economic recession has served to hasten the rate of decline in on-trade alcohol sales, while a growing number of consumers claim to be drinking more at home. This report examines the internal and broader factors that drive the on-trade market, provides an overview of the market’s competitive context and provides data on recent and projected market performance, as well as consumer data such as who drinks in the on-trade and the factors causing some consumers to stop visiting on-trade outlets or visit them less frequently.