Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Definition
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Forecast of UK value sales of beer, 2008-18
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- Figure 2: Forecast of UK volume sales of beer, 2008-18
- Market factors
- Alcohol consumption is in decline
- End of the road for the beer escalator
- Population changes entail threats and opportunities
- The rise of craft brewers
- Beer looks to become even more versatile
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Stella Artois under increasing pressure from Foster’s
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- Figure 3: Value sales of top-selling beer brands in the off-trade, 2012/13
- Rush of innovation in lower ABV
- Beer adspend remains high
- The consumer
- Lager remains the most popular type of beer
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- Figure 4: Usage of different types of beer within the past six months, September 2013
- More than three in five beer drinkers do so weekly
- Net downturn in usage in the market
- Lager is the most emotive type of beer
- Brand leads the way for beer drinkers
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- Figure 5: Factors considered when buying beer, September 2013
- Beer brands can encourage trading up by leveraging quality
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- Figure 6: Users' attitudes towards beers, September 2013
- Craft beers continue to forge ahead
- What we think
Issues in the Market
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- Can cask ales play a role in boosting on-trade use?
- How can beer boost its appeal to female drinkers?
- How can beers build brand preference?
- How can stout address its ‘heavy-going’ image?
Trend Application
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- Trend: Many Mes
- Trend: Locavore
- Mintel Futures: Generation Next
Internal Market Environment
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- Key points
- Taxation on alcoholic drinks on the rise since 2008
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- Figure 7: UK excise duty rates for selected alcoholic drinks, 2003-13
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- Figure 8: Index of alcoholic drinks prices versus all items prices, 2006-12
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- Figure 9: RPI indexed annual change for all items and beer (on- and off-trade), 2000-12
- Craft producers and premium associations
- Beer remains well placed to tap into a variety of occasions
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- Figure 10: In-home and out-of-home drinking occasions, April 2013
- Bridging the gender divide
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- Figure 11: Usage of beers, by type, by gender, September 2013
Broader Market Environment
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- Consumer confidence bounces back
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- Figure 12: Disposable income vs expenditure per head (£), 1997-2012
- Figure 13: Consumer Confidence Index, monthly, January 2007-November 2013
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- Figure 14: Hours of sunshine in the UK, by month, 2008-13
- Avoiding the ‘beer belly’
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- Figure 15: Calorie and alcohol unit content of selected types of alcoholic drinks, 2013
- An aging population poses issues for the beer market
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- Figure 16: Projected trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2013-18
- C2s could hold the key to growth
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- Figure 17: Changes in the adult socio-economic structure of the UK population, 2013-18
- Minimum pricing plans shelved in England and Wales
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Consumers cutting back on alcohol consumption
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- Figure 18: Trends in UK per capita consumption of 100% alcohol, 2006-12
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- Figure 19: Value sales of selected alcoholic drink categories, 2008-12
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- Lower-alcohol beers grow in popularity
- The rise of spirit beers
- Other flavoured beer innovation
- Alcoholic ginger beer sees a number of new operators
- Matching beer with food
- Playing it cool
- ‘Global’ beer launches remain commonplace
- Selected other NPD in the UK
- Global context – interesting beer launches from overseas in 2013
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Beer value sales creep up but volumes continue to slide
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- Figure 20: UK value and volume sales of beer, at current and constant prices, 2008-18
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- Figure 21: Forecast of UK value sales of beer, 2008-18
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- Figure 22: Forecast of UK volume sales of beer, 2008-18
- Forecast methodology
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Lager
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- Figure 23: UK value and volume sales of lager, at current and constant prices, 2008-18
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- Figure 24: Forecast of UK value sales of lager, 2008-18
- Ale/Bitter
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- Figure 25: UK value and volume sales of ale/bitter, at current and constant prices, 2008-18
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- Figure 26: Forecast of UK value sales of ale/bitter, 2008-18
- Stout/Porter
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- Figure 27: UK value and volume sales of stout/porter, at current and constant prices, 2008-18
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- Figure 28: Forecast of UK value sales of stout/porter, 2008-18
Market Share
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- Key points
- AB InBev leads the way in lager
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- Figure 29: Leading manufacturers’ shares of lager sales in the off-trade, 2012/13
- Figure 30: Value sales of top-selling lager brands in the off-trade, 2011/12 and 2012/13
- Foster’s closing the gap at the top of the table
- Tough times for Carlsberg
- Mixed fortunes for Molson Coors
- Round-up of other brands/own-label
- Heineken’s John Smith’s leads the ale/bitter segment
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- Figure 31: Manufacturers’ shares of ale/bitter/ginger beer sales in the off-trade, 2012/13
- Figure 32: Value sales of top-selling ale/bitter/ginger beer brands in the off-trade, 2011/12 and 2012/13
- Guinness dominates stout
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- Figure 33: Manufacturer share of stout sales in the off-trade, 2012/13
- Figure 34: Value sales of top-selling stout brands in the off-trade, 2011/12 and 2012/13
Companies and Products
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- AB InBev
- Overview
- Product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Brand communication and promotion
- Carlsberg
- Overview
- Product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Brand communication and promotion
- Diageo
- Overview
- Product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Brand communication and promotion
- Heineken
- Overview
- Product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Brand communication and promotion
- Molson Coors
- Overview
- Product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Brand communication and promotion
- SAB Miller (Miller Brands)
- Overview
- Product range
- Recent activity and innovation
- Brand communication and promotion
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 35: Attitudes towards and usage of brands in the beer sector, October 2013
- Correspondence analysis
- Brand attitudes
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- Figure 36: Attitudes, by beer brand, October 2013
- Brand personality
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- Figure 37: Beer brand personality – macro image, October 2013
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- Figure 38: Beer brand personality – micro image, October 2013
- Brand experience
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- Figure 39: Beer brand usage, October 2013
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- Figure 40: Satisfaction with various beer brands, October 2013
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- Figure 41: Consideration of beer brands, October 2013
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- Figure 42: Consumer perceptions of current beer brand performance, October 2013
- Brand index
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- Figure 43: Beer brand index, October 2013
- Target group analysis
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- Figure 44: Target groups, October 2013
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- Figure 45: Beer brand usage, by target groups, October 2013
- Group One – Conformists
- Group Two – Simply the Best
- Group Three – Shelf Stalkers
- Group Four – Habitual Shoppers
- Group Five – Individualists
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Adspend continues to nudge upwards
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- Figure 46: Above-the-line adspend in the UK beer market, 2010-13
- Lager dominates adspend of beer
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- Figure 47: Advertising spending in the UK beer sector, by category, 2012
- AB InBev loses adspend top spot in 2012
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- Figure 48: Leading advertisers in the UK beer category, by company, 2012
- Figure 49: Leading advertisers in the UK beer category, by company, 2010-13
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- Figure 50: Leading advertisers in the UK beer category, by brand, 2012
- Figure 51: Leading advertisers in the UK beer category, by brand, 2010-13
- Molson Coors jumps to the head of the queue…
- …followed by Heineken
- …while Guinness was actually the leading beer brand advertised in 2012
- Other selected campaigns and trends
- TV is the preferred media for beer advertisers
Channels to Market
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- Key points
- Off-trade volumes prove to be more robust
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- Figure 52: UK value and volume sales of beer in the off-trade, at current and constant prices, 2008-13
- Figure 53: UK value and volume sales of beer in the on-trade, at current and constant prices, 2008-13
- The multiple grocers remain dominant
The Consumer – Usage of Beer
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- Key points
- Seven in ten adults are beer drinkers
- Lager continues to lead the way
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- Figure 54: Usage of different types of beer within the past six months, September 2013
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- Figure 55: Usage of different types of beer within the past six months, by age and gender, September 2013
- Lager is particularly popular for drinking at home
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- Figure 56: Usage of different types of beer within the past six months, by location, September 2013
- Smaller categories enjoy equal usage in the on- and off-trade
- One in five adults drinks five or more types of beer
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- Figure 57: Repertoire of purchase of different types of beer, September 2013
The Consumer – Frequency of Usage
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- Key points
- 63% of beer drinkers do so at least once a week
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- Figure 58: Frequency of drinking beer, September 2013
The Consumer – Changes in Usage Habits
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- Key points
- A greater share of beer drinkers are cutting back than drinking more
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- Figure 59: Changes in beer drinking habits, September 2013
- Evidence of cutting back in 2013
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- Figure 60: Comparison of usage of different types of beer, by gender, October 2012 and September 2013
- Beer drinkers feel the pinch but health also plays a part
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- Figure 61: Reasons for cutting back on beer, September 2013
- Increasing competition from other drink categories
The Consumer – Perceptions of Beer
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- Key points
- The different types of beer hold very differing images
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- Figure 62: Perceptions of types of beer, September 2013
- Lager seen as the most refreshing type of beer
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- Figure 63: Perceptions of lager, September 2013
- Ale/Bitter seen primarily as old-fashioned
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- Figure 64: Perceptions of ale/bitter, September 2013
- Stout/Porter seen as old-fashioned and filling
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- Figure 65: Perceptions of stout/porter, September 2013
- Alcoholic ginger beer still forging its image
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- Figure 66: Perceptions of alcoholic ginger beer, September 2013
- Flavoured beer seen as a younger person’s drink
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- Figure 67: Perceptions of flavoured beer, September 2013
The Consumer – Choice Factors
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- Key points
- Brand leads the way for beer drinkers
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- Figure 68: Factors considered when buying beer, September 2013
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- Figure 69: Favourite brand as a leading choice factor, by gender and age, September 2013
- Low price only cited by two in five
- Room for experimentation
- David vs Goliath
- Alcohol content is only of limited importance
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Beer
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- Key points
- Beer brands can encourage trading up by leveraging quality
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- Figure 70: Users' attitudes towards beers, September 2013
- Two thirds of beer drinkers are prepared to pay more for better quality
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- Figure 71: Users' attitudes towards premium beers, September 2013
- First harvest hops and time taken in production can project a premium image
- Bottles perceived to provide a better tasting beer
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- Figure 72: Users' attitudes towards the taste of beer, September 2013
- Low-alcohol beers continue to struggle with poor taste image
- Half of beer drinkers adopt a purist’s attitude…
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- Figure 73: Users' attitudes towards flavoured beers, September 2013
- …while half like to mix and match beer brands
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- Figure 74: Users' attitudes towards NPD/different types of beers, September 2013
- More scope for co-branding
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Craft Beers
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- Key points
- Craft producers can appeal by supporting local producers
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- Figure 75: Users' attitudes towards craft beers, September 2013
- What does ‘craft’ mean?
- Large brewers have scope to move into craft beer
- 35% of beer drinkers think that craft beers are worth paying more for
The Consumer – Target Groups
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- Key points
- Four target groups
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- Figure 76: Target groups, September 2013
- Disengaged (32%)
- Lager Lovers (24%)
- Enthusiasts (24%)
- Ale Lovers (20%)
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 77: Best and worst case forecasts for the beer market, by value, 2013-18
- Figure 78: Best and worst case forecasts for the beer market, by volume, 2013-18
- Figure 79: Best and worst case forecasts for the lager market, by value, 2013-18
- Figure 80: Best and worst case forecasts for the lager market, by volume, 2013-18
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- Figure 81: Forecast for volume sales of lager, 2008-18
- Figure 82: Best and worst case forecasts for the ale market, by value, 2013-18
- Figure 83: Best and worst case forecasts for the ale market, by volume, 2013-18
- Figure 84: Forecast for volume sales of ale, 2008-18
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- Figure 85: Best and worst case forecasts for the stout market, by value, 2013-18
- Figure 86: Best and worst case forecasts for the stout market, by volume, 2013-18
- Figure 87: Forecast for volume sales of stout, 2008-18
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Appendix – Brand Research
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- Figure 88: Brand usage, October 2013
- Figure 89: Brand commitment, October 2013
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- Figure 90: Brand momentum, October 2013
- Figure 91: Brand diversity, October 2013
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- Figure 92: Brand satisfaction, October 2013
- Figure 93: Brand attitude, October 2013
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- Figure 94: Brand image- macro image, October 2013
- Figure 95: Brand image – micro image, October 2013
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- Figure 96: Profile of target groups, by demographics, October 2013
- Figure 97: Psychographic segmentation, by target groups, October 2013
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- Figure 98: Brand usage, by target groups, October 2013
- Figure 99: Brand index, October 2013
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Appendix – Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Figure 100: Top 20 brands advertising in the beer category in 2012, 2010-13
- Figure 101: Top 10 advertisers, by media, 2010-13
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Appendix – The Consumer – Usage of Beers
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- Figure 102: Usage of beer by type, September 2013
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- Figure 103: Beers drunk at home, by type, September 2013
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- Figure 104: Most popular types of beers drunk at home, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 105: Next most popular types of beers drunk at home, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 106: Beers drunk out of home by type, September 2013
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- Figure 107: Most popular types of beers drunk out of home, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 108: Next most popular types of beers drunk out of home, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 109: Non-usage of beers, September 2013
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- Figure 110: Non-usage of beers, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 111: Non-usage of beers, by demographics, September 2013 (continued)
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- Figure 112: Repertoire of usage of beers, by demographics, September 2013
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Appendix – The Consumer – Frequency of Usage
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- Figure 113: Frequency of drinking beer, September 2013
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- Figure 114: Frequency of drinking beer, by demographics, September 2013
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Appendix – The Consumer – Usage Habits
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- Figure 115: Changes in beer drinking habits, September 2013
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- Figure 116: Changes in beer drinking habits, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 117: Changes in beer drinking habits, by most popular beers drunk in home, September 2013
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- Figure 118: Changes in beer drinking habits, by other beers drunk in home, September 2013
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- Figure 119: Changes in beer drinking habits, by most popular beers drunk out of home, September 2013
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- Figure 120: Changes in beer drinking habits, by other beers drunk out of home, September 2013
- Reasons for drinking less beer
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- Figure 121: Reasons for drinking less beer than a year ago, September 2013
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- Figure 122: Reasons for drinking less beer than a year ago, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 123: Comparison of usage of different types of beer, by age, October 2012 and September 2013
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Appendix – The Consumer – Perceptions of Beer
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- Figure 124: Perceptions of lager, September 2013
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- Figure 125: Most popular perceptions of lager, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 126: Perceptions of ale/bitter, September 2013
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- Figure 127: Most popular perceptions of ale/bitter, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 128: Perceptions of stout/porter, September 2013
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- Figure 129: Most popular perceptions of stout/porter, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 130: Perceptions of alcoholic ginger beer, September 2013
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- Figure 131: Most popular perceptions of alcoholic ginger beer, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 132: Perceptions of flavoured beer (fruit/spirits), September 2013
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- Figure 133: Most popular perceptions of flavoured beer, by demographics, September 2013
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Appendix – The Consumer – Choice Factors
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- Figure 134: Factors considered when buying beers, September 2013
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- Figure 135: Most popular factors considered when buying beers, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 136: Next most popular factors considered when buying beers, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 137: Other factors considered when buying beers, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 138: Factors considered when buying beers, by in-home usage, September 2013
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- Figure 139: Factors considered when buying beers, by in-home usage, September 2013 (continued)
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- Figure 140: Factors considered when buying beers, by out of home usage, September 2013
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- Figure 141: Factors considered when buying beers, by out of home usage, September 2013 (continued)
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Appendix – The Consumer – Attitudes towards Beer
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- Figure 142: Users' attitudes towards beers, September 2013
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- Figure 143: Agreement with the statements ‘It is worth paying more for better quality beer’ and ‘I expect bottled beer to taste better than beer in cans’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 144: Agreement with the statements ‘I expect lower-alcohol beers to not taste as good as standard strength varieties’ and ‘I prefer the taste of lighter beers over darker ones’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 145: Agreement with the statements ‘Beer should be left ‘unflavoured’’ and ‘I am interested in multipacks of different types of beer’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 146: Agreement with the statements ‘I prefer to try many different beer brands rather than sticking to only one’ and ‘I prefer to drink a premium beer at a pub/bar rather than at home’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 147: Agreement with the statements ‘Beers which have been made from the first harvest of hops are worth paying more for’ and ‘I am interested in beer with spice flavourings’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 148: Agreement with the statements ‘Spirit beers appeal to me’ and ‘I am interested in trying beers produced by musicians/TV chefs’, by demographics, September 2013
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Appendix – The Consumer – Attitudes towards Craft Beers
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- Figure 149: Attitudes towards craft beers, September 2013
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- Figure 150: Agreement with the statements ‘Drinking regional/craft beers is a good way to support local producers’ and ‘I expect/would expect craft beers to taste better than non-craft beer’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 151: Agreement with the statements ‘The use of the term ‘craft beer’ should be better regulated’ and ‘Craft beers would be more appealing if I knew more about them’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 152: Agreement with the statements ‘The unique nature of craft beer appeals to me’ and ‘I would be interested in trying a craft-style beer from a large brewer’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 153: Agreement with the statements ‘I am unsure what the term ‘craft beer’ means’ and ‘I think that UK craft beers are better than foreign ones’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 154: Agreement with the statements ‘Craft beers should cost the same as mass-market beers’ and ‘Craft beers are worth paying more for’, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 155: Agreement with the statements ‘I am interested in craft beers which have unusual flavours/use unusual ingredients’ and ‘I am interested in being involved in helping to fund setting up a new craft beer’, by demographics, September 2013
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Appendix – The Consumer – Target Groups
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- Figure 156: Target groups, by demographics, September 2013
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- Figure 157: Usage of beers, by target groups, September 2013
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- Figure 158: Frequency of drinking beer, by target groups, September 2013
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- Figure 159: Drinking habits of beer, by target groups, September 2013
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- Figure 160: Perceptions of beers, by target groups, September 2013
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- Figure 161: Choice factors when buying beers, by target groups, September 2013
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- Figure 162: Users' attitudes towards beers, by target groups, September 2013
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- Figure 163: Attitudes towards craft beers, by target groups, September 2013
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