Just over 1 in 8 (13%) Irish adults who drink alcohol claim they would be likely to purchase alcohol online through an app or website within the next six months. The potential for growth in this market is found in that almost 1 in 10 (9%) of those who have not yet purchased alcohol online claim they would be likely to purchase in the next six months. This research, conducted by Empathy Research amongst a nationally representative sample of adults 18+ on behalf of Retail Intelligence, sought to understand the motivations for and wider market impact of such an increase in online alcohol purchasing.
Currently, the highest level of online alcohol purchase is evident amongst those in the 35-44-year-old age group (19%) with those aged 18-24 least likely to be purchasing alcohol in this way (5%). Regionally, Dublin residents are also more likely to purchase alcohol online than anywhere else in the country (16%). When we look to identify where potential market growth may come from, those who are open to purchasing alcohol online but currently haven’t done so, it appears that the 25-44 (11%) age group are most likely to enter the market in the next six months.
Triggers to online purchases are rooted in the convenience and ease of not having to go to the off-licence (37%) and having it delivered to your home (36%). Just over a third (34%) of those who have yet to purchase but would do so in the next six months expect better prices/offers through online alcohol purchase.
There appears to be an appetite for purchasing alcohol online when also purchasing food online, with some 24% claiming this to be the case. Indeed, at an overall market level, half of all adults (50%) who drink alcohol believe that home delivery of alcohol is the natural progression for food delivery services.
For more information on the barriers to purchasing alcohol online and the impact of online purchasing on supermarkets, off-licenses and the wider alcohol market, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
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