Heineken has warned British bars and pubs that the increase in recognition of weight-loss medication may result in a fall in gross sales of beer and cider.
The world’s second-largest brewer despatched a presentation to British hospitality prospects earlier this month that mentioned the usage of GLP-1 medicine – akin to Ozempic and Wegovy – may scale back the need to drink alcohol. This in flip may lead to “fullness and fewer serves” of pints in pubs and bars, it added.
The doc, revealed by Reuters, mentioned the GLP-1 period may result in the custom of the multi-pint ingesting session changing into a much less frequent incidence.
The Netherlands-headquartered firm provided recommendation together with selling half pints, low- and zero-alcohol choices and pairing drinks with small plates of meals, or threat declines in buyer visits and spending.
“We see some adjustments in consumption behaviour amongst (GLP-1) customers and can proceed to observe how these behaviours evolve in 2027,” mentioned a Heineken spokesperson. “Shopper behaviour is evolving in response to a variety of broader tendencies. GLP-1 is likely one of the developments we’re monitoring.”
GLP-1 use has soared as shoppers search a fast answer to weight reduction, with 10 million individuals turning to medicine within the US final 12 months, in response to analysis by JP Morgan.
Heineken mentioned the presentation was shared with prospects as a part of its common engagement with UK companies to assist them perceive how shopper habits have been evolving.
Traits the brewer has recognized in GLP-1 customers embody choosing smaller serves, decrease alcohol drinks and extra premium merchandise.
“Our newest shopper analysis suggests GLP-1 customers usually are not merely changing alcohol,” mentioned the spokesperson. “They’re changing into extra purposeful of their selections and broadening their preferences. These behaviours usually are not distinctive to GLP-1 customers. They mirror broader shopper tendencies in the direction of well being and wellbeing, moderation, selection and extra intentional consumption that we’re seeing throughout our markets.”
In addition to its eponymous lager, Heineken additionally owns manufacturers akin to Amstel, the Mexican lager Sol and Strongbow cider.
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The Guinness maker, Diageo, has informed buyers that any affect from GLP-1 medication changing into mainstream needs to be manageable, whereas Carlsberg informed Reuters that information didn’t help the view that the usage of weight-loss medication affected beer consumption tendencies.
Nevertheless, surveys by analysis firms together with Circana, NIQ and KAM have pointed to diminished ingesting by GLP-1 customers.
In response to Heineken, there was virtually £14bn in gross sales of beer in British pubs, bars and eating places within the 12 months to February, with lower than £300m of that from no- and low-alcohol merchandise.