Drink industry scoring with the young...

Young men and women in the United Kingdom are among the heaviest drinkers in Europe according to a new survey of trends in nine countries consisting of the United States and eight from Western Europe. The present upward trend in youthful alcohol consumption will continue in all but three of these countries. Research carried out by market analysts Datamonitor suggests that by 2003 attitudes will have changed and it will become more fashionable to consume alcohol in greater quantities.

Drinking is an increasingly popular activity amongst the economically crucial twenties age group. 18 to 24-year-olds are they heaviest drinkers. On average they consume 15.6 units of alcohol per week each, which is expected to increase to 17.2 units a week by 2003. This level is second only to the young people of Germany who consume an average of 20.3 units a week.

Earlier this year the brewers Whitbread, eager to understand and profit from the young market, identified seven distinctive types of drinker, from the young "steamer" who goes out with the intention of getting drunk to the "adapter" who is anxious to order the right label or brand to conform with his peer group.

These figures are good news for the drinks industry. Total sales are expected to rise from 940.9 million litres last year to 1.2 billion litres in four years' time. Richard Robinson, Datamonitor drinks industry analyst, suggested that one reason for the rise in youthful drinking was a revulsion from the eighties' preoccupation with healthy living. "Many people now follow a 'debits and credits' system," he said. "This dictates that consumers feel that one session of 'being good', such as going to the gym, earns them an indulgence such as an alcoholic drink. The debit and credit system is being reinforced by the revival of the cocktail culture in the US and the UK."

Mr Robinson said that "all the key trends are compounded by what has been described as a frame of mind in which it has become fashionable again to be seen to be living an opulent, indulgent life. In this mindset, consumers may feel indulgence in short, controlled bursts can be offset by regular exercise and healthy eating." The analyst uses the term fin de siècle to describe this attitude.

Datamonitor goes on to make the point that young British drinkers are particularly important to the industry.

"It would appear that under the 'debit and credit' system consumers are less puritanical in their attitudes than they once were. However, they remain concerned about their health and change their consumption habits accordingly. "While the health benefits of this are very questionable, the impact of this mode of thinking is such that it is beginning to have a significant effect on indulgent food and drink products, including alcohol.

"Although the 'debit and credit' mindset may be more apparent in the US, the UK remains one of the most important young adult markets in the world for alcoholic drinks manufacturers. The high consumption rates amongst consumers in this age range are sufficient in themselves to attract the attention of marketers.

"However, the manufacturers are attempting to engender loyalty in the long run; it is becoming apparent that, since the baby boom generation, consumers have been loath to change their drinking habits as they grow older. People are no longer prepared to admit to themselves that they are ageing and use a continuation of the brand choices they developed in their youth as a defiant link to their younger days. Manufacturers will continue to concentrate on this age group in the hope of establishing life long drinking habits and brand preferences."