Are you drinking more during lockdown?

April 28, 2020

I know I am definitely drinking more during lockdown, as the days seem to blur into a continuous, ‘what day is it?’ week. It’s like holidays, but I’ve got too much work to do and can’t leave the house (so very shit holidays).

It appears I’m not alone, as figures from Wine Intelligence out now note that Australian wine consumption is slightly down, but not commensurate with a big drop in drinking. In other words, while restaurants, bars and clubs (where we would normally drink) may be closed, we’re still drinking in a similar frequency, just at home.

The only group that is drinking less according to those figures is generation Z, which theoretically matches up with an audience historically more likely to be drinking ‘out’ in pubs/clubs. But is it that clear cut? The divide isn’t just in age groups, it also comes down demographics too, with wealthier suburbs more likely to be spending less according to this article.

Overall, traditional retail figures suggest that consumption is slightly down, however, excepting the mad panic buying that took place in the last weeks of March and into April, with this article hinting that alcohol spend is 10% down on last year. Conversely, online alcohol spend is way up, with anecdotal reports I’ve heard from two different retailers hinting at rises of well over 60%.

Just to complicate the situation, this article notes that alcohol spend is 35% up but also spending less on discretionary products. Wine and beer are essential products, right?

I’ve enjoyed this Stockade NEIPA during lockdown. Nails the texture/bitterness balance

For a more broader context, you have info from the USA which notes that our spend on food and drinks hasn’t changed, it has just moved from restaurants and bars into food and bottle shops.

With so many conflicting stats out there I’m keen to hear what you think – are you drinking more during lockdown? And if you so, are you spending more or less per bottle than usual?

drinking habits

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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5 responses to “Are you drinking more during lockdown?”

Mahmoud Ali

April 29, 2020 at 6:11 am

We’re probably drinking a little more what with broader evening hours at home and staying up later. I’ve spent hardly any money on wine and instead have focused on what I have. Because we don’t drink with our friends at the pub we now buy more beer from the shops and drink at our Zoom meetings – after going for our obligatory run. Gin and rum have featured in our drink mix ever since finding litre bottle of Boodles (45% abv!) for only $30 and a relatively dry high proof (57.1%) Guyanese rum. I am also dipping into my Scotch collection. Hmm, after writing all this may be “drinking a little more” is probably an understatement given that we felt it necessary to insert dry days into our schedule.

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Simon Colwell

April 29, 2020 at 9:09 am

We’re drinking the same, just substituting what we would have drunk ‘out’ on a Friday night for getting takeaway and drinking ‘in’. Mind you, we’re early 50s/late 40s with a school age child so we don’t really drink out much anyway. With so many wineries struggling at the moment we’re definitely buying a lot more wine than usual, we have boxes lying around on the lounge room floor, nowhere else to put them.

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Paul

April 29, 2020 at 11:02 am

Certainly drinking some more at home as not driving anywhere and enjoying the time with family. I look to support wineries I have been to and like their wines so I have also taken advantage of offers from wineries. With many doing it tough with no cellar door or restaurant they run operating buying direct to support them is something I can do to help them out. So my cellar is also getting larger, but that’s not always a bad thing

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Andrew Graham

April 29, 2020 at 11:11 am

The right time to support small wineries. Cash flow at this time of year is tight anyway (bottling is expensive) and many would be suffering with no cellar door/non existent on-premise sales.

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Sam

April 29, 2020 at 1:35 pm

If total consumption remained constant but a shift from on premises purchasing (highest margin) to off premise, one would expect a drop in total spend. In fact it would surely be quite possible to see a significant increase in consumption by volume but at the same time a drop in consumption by value – $50 at the pub is a round, at the bottle shop it’s a carton!

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