Patterns of consumption at the UK’s first “alcohol-free off- licence”: Who engaged with no- and low-alcohol drinks and why?

Journal article


Davey, C. 2022. Patterns of consumption at the UK’s first “alcohol-free off- licence”: Who engaged with no- and low-alcohol drinks and why? The European Journal of Food and Drink. 1 (2).
AuthorsDavey, C.
Abstract

No- and low-alcohol beverages are currently experiencing high sales growth in the UK, but academic research regarding the production, regulation, marketing and consumption of these
drinks remains limited. This article presents research findings from ethnographic customer observations and semi-structured staff interviews at Club Soda’s temporary "alcohol-free off-licence” in London – the UK’s first shop that sold exclusively no- and low-alcohol drinks. I analyse the demographics of who came to the off-licence, and how and why they engaged with no- and low-alcohol drinks. Findings suggest that relatively equal numbers of non-drinkers and current drinkers were customers of the off-licence, but there were differences across gender, ethnicity, and age groups. No- and low-alcohol drinks supported customers’ alcohol-free
lifestyles or attempts to drink mindfully. However, whether customers were former drinkers, lifelong abstainers or current drinkers influenced what products they sought from the off-licence and shaped how these products were used in (non-)drinking practices. This paper also highlights the role of the off-licence as a stigma-free, sober space where customers could try no- and low-alcohol products, prior to purchase, and find connection with others.

KeywordsAlcohol-free; Community; No and low-alcohol drinks; Moderation; Sobriety
Year2022
JournalThe European Journal of Food and Drink
Journal citation1 (2)
PublisherArrow
Official URLhttps://arrow.tudublin.ie/ejfds/vol2/iss1/3
Publication dates
OnlineDec 2022
Publication process dates
Deposited09 Jan 2023
Accepted08 Aug 2022
Publisher's version
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File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
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https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/93812/patterns-of-consumption-at-the-uk-s-first-alcohol-free-off-licence-who-engaged-with-no-and-low-alcohol-drinks-and-why

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