With each new day of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more information is published on its impacts in our communities and around the world. A substantial amount of information has also been published about the impacts the pandemic has had on wine, the drinks markets and consumer behaviour.
Wine Australia’s team has been busier than ever digesting the numerous reports available to better understand its impact on, and the possible paths forward for, our wine community. These have been condensed into our recent Market Bulletins and discussed in a number of webinars providing insights and resources to assist wine businesses.
This week’s Market Bulletin has been created to help navigate the information, by bringing together various sources, reports and webinars into one location.
Global
A number of market research companies have published a great deal of high-level insights about the impact that COVID-19 has had on consumer behaviour. Nielsen and Kantar mainly focus on fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), retail and media, which is useful in understanding broader consumer behaviour changes. They also offer examples of where businesses have adapted and changed to continue trading in these difficult times. Webinar recordings have been made available that explore these changed consumer behaviours.
From a wine perspective, the IWSR and Wine Intelligence published articles that synthesise results from their research studies across a number of markets.
Below are Market Bulletins Wine Australia has published on the global market:
- Global consumer trends in the short term (published 23 June 2020)
- The Great Lockdown: the global economic impact of COVID-19 (published 16 June 2020)
- How the pandemic has boosted digital retail (published 21 April 2020)
- Value of exports rises, but full COVID impact yet to come (exports to the year ending March 2020)
- COVID-19 – latest developments in trade and logistics for wine (published 31 March 2020)
Asian markets
Information on wine sales and consumption is very limited in China and other Asian markets. Again, Nielsen, Kantar, McKinsey & Company and Wine Intelligence are all excellent sources of information on consumer behaviour changes as a result of COVID-19.
Here are some of these:
- Bullish Chinese imported wine drinkers purchase volume and spend on wine in wake of coronavirus (Wine Intelligence)
- The ‘homebody economy’ gains steam in China amid COVID-19 epidemic (Nielsen)
- Survey: Chinese consumer sentiment during the coronavirus crisis (McKinsay & Company)
- Survey: Japanese consumer sentiment during the coronavirus crisis (McKinsay & Company)
- Survey: Korean consumer sentiment during the coronavirus crisis (McKinsay & Company)
- Survey measures coronavirus outbreak’s impact on China’s consumption (Kantar)
Further to this, a dedicated market insights page for China is available on Wine Australia’s website that includes the latest wine import and Australian wine export information. A recording of a recent webinar conducted by Wine Australia with Wine Intelligence CEO Lulie Halstead can also be found here titled ‘Consumer wine consumption behaviour during post COVID-19 in South Korea, China and Japan’. These resources are only available to Australian wine sector levy payers (please log in with your verified account).
A Market Bulletin is available on Australia’s top five Asian markets and COVID-19 impacts – published 6 May 2020.
United States of America
For the United States of America (USA), Nielsen/CGA have been tracking on-premise consumer data through their report ‘Measuring the on-premise impact’. The latest issue for 8 July 2020 discusses the fragility of the on-premise trade in the USA with varying degrees of business now ‘open’ across states.
Rabobank recently published an article on ‘finding new pathways to US consumers for Australian wine’, which highlights the increasing need to review distribution channels and to start considering digital strategies.
It is also worth exploring information available from Kantar and Nielsen. While mostly focusing on FMCG, on some occasions, information on other alcohol categories is provided, such as a recent article on hard seltzers with sales seemingly not affected during COVID-19 restrictions.
Wine Intelligence provided a summary of the results of the US COVID-19 impact report through a press release headlining ‘US drinkers have increased wine consumption during lockdown, led by more involved drinkers, as interest in locally produced wine surges’.
Information on Australian wine exports, the latest wine imports to the USA, off-trade and on-trade wine sales are available through a dedicated market insights page on Wine Australia’s website. A recording of a recent webinar conducted by Wine Intelligence can also be found here titled ‘Consumer wine consumption behaviour during post COVID-19 in Australia, the UK and the USA’. These are only available to Australian wine sector levy payers.
United Kingdom and European markets
CGA have been regularly monitoring and reporting the impact that COVID-19 has had on the on-premise trade. On 10 July 2020, they published an article that discusses how pubs and restaurants fared in the opening weekend in the United Kingdom (UK).
Wine Intelligence provided a summary of the results of the UK COVID-19 impact report through a press release headlining ‘UK drinkers increase their wine consumption frequency, but spend less per bottle as purchase channels change’.
Below are Market Bulletins Wine Australia has published on the UK and European markets:
- How COVID-19 has impacted wine in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden (published 16 June 2020)
- How COVID-19 has changed the UK wine market (published 29 April 2020).
Information on Australian wine exports, the latest wine imports to the UK and off-trade wine sales are available through a dedicated market insights page on Wine Australia’s website. A recording of a recent webinar conducted by Wine Intelligence can also be found here titled ‘Consumer wine consumption behaviour during post COVID-19 in Australia, the UK and the USA’. These are only available to Australian wine sector levy payers.
Another webinar by Wine Intelligence was conducted on 13 July 2020 for Europe and its recording will be available through the market insights section of the website in the coming days.
Australia
Kantar Australia provides insights on consumers, brands, advertising, media and retail insights with respect to COVID-19. They have also been conducting a COVID-19 barometer, taking the pulse on how Australians have changed their behaviour and what they expect to do post-isolation. This is much like the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS), Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, designed to provide a quick snapshot about how people in Australian households are faring.
Below are Market Bulletins that Wine Australia has published about the Australian market:
- How COVID-19 is changing Australian domestic wine market (published 19 May 2020)
- Domestic impact of COVID-19 and how wine businesses are adapting (published 7 April 2020).
Information on the Australian off-premise liquor market is available through a dedicated market insights page on Wine Australia’s website. A recording of a recent webinar conducted by Wine Intelligence can also be found here titled ‘Consumer wine consumption behaviour during post COVID-19 in Australia, the UK and the USA’. These are only available to Australian wine sector levy payers.