By aligning strategies with the rising enthusiasm for going out among the most lucrative consumer groups, suppliers and operators can optimise sales and visitation to support a prosperous outlook for the year ahead.
The new research reveals 14% of consumers are planning to go out more in 2024 than they did last year, while 49% expect to go out the same. Only 29% say they will be going out less.
Consumers who visit pubs, bars, restaurants and other venues more are younger, with half of 18–34-year-olds expecting to go out more, followed by a third of 35–54-year-olds. Furthermore, over half typically live in city and town centres, have higher incomes, and visit the On Premise more frequently, with half of both male and female consumers planning to typically go out at least once a week.
So, where are they planning to spend their leisure time this year? The data suggests good news across the board. Of consumers who expect to go out more, two thirds are planning to go to cafes more, almost half to casual dining restaurants, 40% to other restaurants, bars and late-night bars, and a third to hotels and nightclubs.
Half of consumers plan to go out more in the coming year for special occasions, relaxed quiet drinks, and casual meals. In addition, a third of consumers expect to be visiting venues more for after work drink and formal meals, while over a fifth intend to go out more for high tempo drinks and to watch live sports.
Over a quarter plan to prioritise both special occasions and regular visits this year, underlining the value placed on the On Premise and the role it plays in consumers’ lives.
In terms of focus drinks categories, beer emerges as the most popular drink among consumers (44%) who have visited the On Premise in the past month. Spirits are also an influential category, despite only 15% of consumers drinking them with a mixer or neat. With consumers drinking Cocktails (27%), plus Aperitifs on the rise, Spirits remain a heavyweight category. Furthermore, the inclination towards spending more for quality drinks and indulgence reflects a growing market for premium offerings in the beer and spirits category.
Bilal Kaddouri, CGA by NIQ’s Client Solutions Director – Germany, said: Overall, evolving consumer trends for 2024 represent a promising outlook for suppliers and operators to leverage the nation’s favourite drinks. Plus, there are potentially sizeable rewards for getting creative with product development, marketing and promotions, to maximise beer and spirit sales in new and innovative ways strategically targeted at the most receptive audiences. While there will be future challenges facing both consumers and businesses in the months ahead with VAT increases, keeping up to date with consumer sentiment and their engagement in the gastronomy channel will be paramount in 2024”
You can download the full Germany On Premise Consumer Pulse Report for free here.
The On Premise Consumer Pulse Report provides a ‘temperature check’ of the channel and the consumers who visit bars and restaurants across all regions of Germany, looking into their On Premise behaviour over the past month and testing visit intention for the month ahead.
To learn more about CGA by NIQ’s unrivalled suite of services in Germany and how it can help your business, please email bilal.kaddouri@nielseniq.com.