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Here’s what people are drinking (and when) during this horrible, rotten, no-good, stay-at-home summer

July 23, 2020Chris Crowell

beer-wine-toast-COVID19

There is literally nothing to do other than read emails. One such email I got today came from goPuff, a company that delivers everyday essentials, from cleaning supplies, home needs and OTC medications to food and drinks in just minutes. I admit I’ve never heard of it before, but they sent over a list of summer beverage trends compiled by their Integrated Data & Consumer Research team that seemed worth sharing. And again, what else is there to do? Admit it, you want to read ’em.

With Americans like me staying home more than ever before, goPuff’s beverage sales have seen a tremendous boost, with alcohol orders increasing exponentially during the first five months of 2020. Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Chicago have experienced the highest order volumes this year, but others hot on their tails since the start of the pandemic in March include El Paso, Texas; Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk, Conn.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Detroit, Mich.; and Albany, Schenectady and Troy, N.Y. 

“The past few months have brought about new ways of life for many of us, and as we continuously work to analyze and predict trends for our partners, we identified that, across the board, Americans have shown an increased interest in having beverages of all kinds delivered, with a few standout favorites,” said Daniel Folkman, VP of Business at goPuff. 

With their vertically integrated model, goPuff is able to leverage real-time sales, unique behavioral and survey data to understand the beverages its customers love most – and make predictions about future consumer behavior. The online survey conducted by goPuff was a random sample of 3,000 goPuff customers ages 18+ nationwide.

2020 Summer Drink Trends

The 2020 Summer Sip is … Not surprisingly, hard and spiked seltzers once again reign supreme, based on unit sales and orders, with domestic beer and red wine trailing close behind. Nearly half (48 percent) of goPuff customers prefer White Claw over other brands like Truly, Twisted Tea and Mike’s Hard Lemonade (black cherry, lemonade and mango are among the most-ordered single White Claw flavors). That said, 28 percent of goPuff customers surveyed say they plan to mostly drink beer this summer (Bud Light and Miller Lite), while 26 percent plan to mostly drink hard seltzers (White Claw and Truly) and 19 percent plan to mostly drink wine (19 Crimes and Black Box).

Americans Love the Fizz. Seltzer sales – of the non-spiked variety – also continue to rise, with a 63 percent increase from March to April on popular brands like Waterloo and Spindrift. Over the past few years, seltzer has enjoyed increased interest as a bubbly treat without the guilt. Now, as the pandemic encouraged consumers to do what they can to feel healthy, many shoppers have leaned more heavily into products like seltzer, vitamins, enhanced water and more. 

The Homebound Effect: What Time is Happy Hour …? Compared to this time last year, goPuff customers are now more likely to order alcohol between 12 – 6 p.m., and less likely to order it between 6 p.m. – midnight. Customers are also more likely to order alcohol on the weekdays than they were in 2019, but once the weekend does roll around, it’s cause for celebration – 69 percent of weekly Korbel Brut Champagne sales take place Friday – Sunday (while 60 percent of single, 24-ounce cans of Miller High Life are ordered during the workday). Without long commutes and clearly defined office versus home hours, the pandemic has broken down many of our traditional conceptions of time and structure, and consumers have become more willing to step outside of their traditional behavior.

An Alternative Source of Energy. In addition to alcohol, goPuff has seen a massive spike in energy drink purchases within the past few months – a 210 percent increase since the beginning of the year, in fact, with Red Bull and Monster being the most popular brands. Reign is the most popular new energy drink brand, while others like BODYARMOR, along with sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade and Vitamin Water have seen recent sales growth, as well. As many work from home, consumers likely began looking for different ways to power their workdays. 

There you have it. Back to emails.

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