Alcoholic drinks in the Netherlands was heavily impacted by changes in taxation over 2024, which had a major influence on category performance. Alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic alternatives were both impacted by higher tax, which was a major blow for the latter in particular. The higher taxes came on top of further price increases brought about by rising costs throughout the value chain. Average unit price increases were substantial in alcoholic drinks, and they heavily affected consumption patterns in both the on-trade and off-trade. Changing consumer attitudes towards alcohol consumption is also causing broad changes in drinking behaviour, with consumers choosing to reduce and even stop drinking alcohol altogether. Driving this change is heightened consumer awareness of the negative impact of alcohol consumption on health. Alongside the tax increases, the moderation in alcohol consumption created a challenging environment for the alcoholic drinks industry during 2024.
Beer remains the largest category in alcoholic drinks by volume, although sales are declining due to maturity and the changing drinking habits of younger generations. Lager is a popular choice for young adults who want to party and go out drinking, but increasingly consumers are moving away from binge drinking lagers. Consumers are more mindful of the negative impact of alcohol consumption on personal health, notably heavy consumption of lager, with alternatives becoming increasingly attractive. Young adults in particular are more into healthy living and fitness and such individuals associate beer consumption with weight gain and a loss of fitness. Older consumers are also consuming less beer, with a preference for high quality beer over cheaper lagers.
Heineken NV is the clear leader in the alcoholic drinks category in the Netherlands. The company owes its high ranking to its dominant position in beer, where it continues to assert its lead in 2024. Heineken NV’s beer business is under pressure from the weak performance of lager, although its Heineken brands has maintained volume share. The company has had success in categories such as non-alcoholic ales, premium lager and premium ales, with brands such as Birra Moretti, Desperados and Heineken Silver gaining volume share in 2024.
Supermarkets is the largest channel for alcoholic drinks in the Netherlands. Consumers are accustomed to buying a case of beer or a few bottles of wine during their weekly shop, providing the supermarket channel with a relatively stable volume share in 2024. One major reason for the popularity of supermarkets is that they have frequent price promotions on leading brands in beer, wine and RTDs. However, the sale of spirits in the supermarket channel is very limited as by law they are not allowed to sell any alcoholic beverages with an ABV of more than 15%.
Both the on-trade and the off-trade faced declining volume sales in 2024. The on-trade has been plagued with further losses after a period of strong recovery from the pandemic. Consumers have turned away from spending money in the on-trade due to extreme price increases over the past three years. The high cost of living continues to exert an influence on purchasing decisions with many consumers choosing to go out drinking less frequently. Nonetheless, the on-trade performed slightly better than the off-trade in volume terms.
Alcoholic drinks is a relatively mature category in the Netherlands and despite a further increase in the Dutch population, the increase in total volume sales is expected to be minimal over the forecast period. RTDs will post a buoyant performance as there is still plenty of growth potential for this popular beverage. The largest category, beer, will likely see a very modest increase in sales, after seeing a decline in volumes over the past two years. The transition towards drinking lower quantities of beer is expected to continue, with consumers seeking higher quality options. Non/low alcohol beer will provide some impetus to the overall beer category, and consumers will gravitate towards more premium beers such as high quality ales or premium lagers.
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Alcoholic Drinks
Alcoholic drinks is the aggregation of beer, wine, spirits, cider/perry and RTDs.
See all of our definitionsThis report originates from Passport, our Alcoholic Drinks research and analysis database.
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