Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Market sizes
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- Figure 1: Estimated total beer market, by segment, IoI, 2018
- Figure 2: Estimated total cider sales, NI and RoI, 2014-19
- Forecast
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- Figure 3: Estimated value of the total beer and cider market, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Market factors
- Increased beer prices could hinder on-trade growth
- Pint of beer/cider duty freeze continues
- Alcohol-related deaths peaks
- Healthy finances in RoI, but NI are less positive
- Companies and innovations
- The consumer
- Lager is the most drunk beer in Ireland
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- Figure 4: Types of beer consumers have drunk in home or out of home in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Apple cider remains the favourite in Ireland
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- Figure 5: Types of cider drunk in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Price most important factor in beer while flavour more important to cider drinkers
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- Figure 6: Factors most important when buying beer, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Figure 7: Factors most important when buying cider, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Premium beer/cider must deliver on taste
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- Figure 8: Agreement with statements related to beer and cider, NI and RoI, March 2019
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Beer sales forecast for 2.6% while cider expected to see modest growth in 2019
- Lager accounts for 60% of beer sales in 2018
- Beer prices rising could benefit off-trade
- Pint tax duty freeze continues as beer consumption rates fall
- Record year for alcohol-related deaths
- Healthy finances bode well for beer in RoI, but NI are less positive
Market Sizes and Forecast
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- IoI beer sales forecast 2% growth in 2019
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- Figure 9: Total beer sales, by value, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- On-trade beer sales witnessed 2.8% growth in 2018
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- Figure 10: Total on-trade beer sales, by value, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Off-trade growth estimated at 1.6% in 2019
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- Figure 11: Total off-trade beer sales, by value, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Figure 12: Occasions on which consumers have drunk beer in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2018
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- Figure 13: Types of activities that consumers have done/taken part in during the last three months, on a weekend night, NI and RoI, January 2019
- Volume sales slow in 2019
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- Figure 14: Total beer sales, by volume (LPA), on-trade and off-trade, IoI, 2014-24
- Cider forecast consistent but slow growth in the next five years
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- Figure 15: Total cider sales, by value, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- On-trade cider sales slow while off-trade sales improve
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- Figure 16: Total off-trade vs on-trade cider sales, by value, IoI, 2014-24
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- Figure 17: Occasions on which consumers have drunk cider in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Volumes sales up almost 2% in 2018
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- Figure 18: Total cider sales, by volume, on-trade and off-trade, IoI, 2014-24
Market Segmentation
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- Lager accounts for around 60% of total beer sales
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- Figure 19: Total lager sales, by value, IoI, off-trade and on-trade, 2014-24
- Stout set for 1.3% growth in 2019
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- Figure 20: Total stout sales, by value, IoI, off-trade and on-trade, 2014-24
- Ale set for continued growth in 2019
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- Figure 21: Total ale sales, by value, IoI, off-trade and on-trade, 2014-24
- Figure 22: Distribution of microbrewery beer products, by the top five selling styles of beer, RoI, 2017
- Craft beer continues strong growth
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- Figure 23: Estimated market value of craft beer market, RoI, 2014-20
Market Drivers
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- On-trade beer prices rising faster than off-trade
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- Figure 24: Consumer price indices for beer, on-trade and off-trade, RoI, August 2017-February 2019
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- Figure 25: Consumer price indices for beer, UK (including NI), August 2017-February 2019
- Figure 26: Consumer price indices for restaurants and cafes, UK (including NI), August 2017-February 2019
- Tax on beer freezes in 2019 while RoI consumption of beer drops
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- Figure 27: UK and RoI excise duty rates per pint of beer (4% ABV) and cider (up to 7.5%), 2012-19
- Figure 28: Beer consumption rates in Europe (annual beer consumption in litres per capita), by country, Europe, 2017
- Health concerns could impact beer sales
- Key players step into low/non-alcohol beer category
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- Figure 29: Consumers who have drunk low/non-alcoholic beer or cider in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Financial outlook looks promising
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- Figure 30: How consumers rate their current personal financial situation, NI and RoI, March 2019
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- Figure 31: Agreement with the question ‘Thinking about your own personal financial situation, do you think that it will improve, stay the same or get worse over the next 12 months?’, NI and RoI, March 2019
- RoI VAT rise could cause problems for hospitality and tourism sector
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- Figure 32: Consumer responses to the question ‘What stands out when you think of Irish food & drink?’, Global, 2016
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Craft beer launches signalling to social media
- C&C Group and Brewdog take stakes in craft producers
- Larger brewers now adapting to a reduced alcohol era
- Long Meadow expanding its deal with Sainsbury’s
- Many brands in the industry working to reduce environmental impact
Who’s Innovating?
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- Beer product launches reaching a peak in the last five years
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- Figure 33: New beer product launches, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Brewers looking to improve environmental performance
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- Figure 34: Top 10 claims in new beer product launches, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Rising launches in vegan and unpasteurised beer
- New beer launches engaging via social media
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- Figure 35: Beer companies launching products using “Social Media” as a claim, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Number of new cider product launches increasing
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- Figure 36: New cider product launches, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Cider offers natural ‘gluten-free’ advantages
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- Figure 37: Claims analysis of new cider products launched, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
- Premium push across both categories
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- Figure 38: Beer and Cider launches using the claim “Premium”, UK and Ireland, 2014-19
Companies and Brands
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- Budweiser Brewing Group UK & Ireland
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent Developments
- BrewDog
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- C&C Group Plc.
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent Developments
- Diageo
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Heineken Ireland
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent Developments
- Molson Coors
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent Developments
- Craft beer & cider companies
- Carlow Brewing Company
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Hilden Brewery
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Long Meadow
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Porterhouse Brewing Company
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Whitewater Brewery
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Lager tops beer types
- Apple cider preferred by Irish consumers
- Price and flavour are the most important factors in beer and cider
- Many would be happy to receive beer/cider as a gift
Usage of Beer
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- Lager remains the top beer drunk in Ireland
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- Figure 39: Types of beer consumers have drunk in home or out of home in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Men more inclined to drink lager
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- Figure 40: Consumers who have drunk lager (eg Harp, Heineken) in the last three months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, March 2019
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- Figure 41: Consumers who have drunk fruit flavoured beer (eg Fruli) or spirit flavoured beer (eg Desperados), in the last three months, by age, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Stout appeals to 25-34 year olds
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- Figure 42: Consumers who have drunk stout (eg Guinness) in the last three months, by age, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Craft beer holds more ground in RoI
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- Figure 43: Consumers who have drunk craft beer (eg Galway Bay) in the last three months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, March 2019
Usage of Cider
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- Apple cider tops
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- Figure 44: Types of cider drunk in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Apple cider preferred by men
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- Figure 45: Consumers who have drunk apple cider in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Younger consumers prefer other fruit flavoured cider
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- Figure 46: Consumers who have drunk other fruit-based cider (eg strawberry and lime, red grape) in the last three months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, March 2019
Factors of Influence
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- Price most important when it comes to beer selection
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- Figure 47: Factors most important when buying beer, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Millennials most interested in beer price and less about brand
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- Figure 48: Consumers who noted price and brand as being the most important factors when buying beer, by age, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Flavour more important than price when buying cider
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- Figure 49: Factors most important when buying cider, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Distinct flavour prompts innovation in processing techniques
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- Figure 50: Consumers who noted distinctive flavour as being the most important factor when buying cider, by social class, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Brand of significant importance to Irish cider drinkers
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- Figure 51: Consumers who noted ‘brand’ and ‘craft’ as being the most important factor when buying beer, NI and RoI, March 2019
Attitudes towards Beer and Cider
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- Premium beer/cider must deliver on taste
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- Figure 52: Agreement with statements related to beer and cider, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Can beer break into the ‘gifting’ occasion?
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- Figure 53: Agreement with the statement ‘I am happy to receive beer/cider as a gift (eg Christmas/birthday)’, by gender, NI and RoI, March 2019
- Beer should be brewed in an environmentally friendly way
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- Figure 54: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I think it is important beer/cider is brewed in an environmentally friendly way’, NI and RoI, March 2019
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- Figure 55: Top five environmental issues most important to consumers, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Beer is part of the ‘going out’ experience
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- Figure 56: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I think drinking beer/cider is a good way to bond with other people’ and ‘I think beer/cider is an important part of the 'going out' experience (eg live sport/ concerts)’, NI and RoI, March 2019
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
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