Australian youth are drinking less these days: that’s a fact. The latest available data from the Australian institute of Health & Welfare reveals that the proportion of young adults who abstained from alcohol more than doubled between 2001 and 2019. What’s more, these trends seem unlikely to shift anytime soon, with the amount of 14-17 year olds that abstained from alcohol increasing from 39% to 73% between 2007 and 2019. Thus, it is a topic that the industry will have to keep on the forefront of its minds when crafting strategies moving forwards.
One example of a company already trying to fill this space is Melbourne’s new BetterDays, pioneers and producers of its various flavours of 'Cactus Water.' Whilst not alcoholic, it still ticks many of the boxes relevant to the 18-34 bracket in our industry, including a health-conscious message, unique story and talking point, strong transparency, space for flavour experimentation, and tailored packaging and marketing. This is something Seltzer has had success with in recent years.
BetterDays was founded by husband and wife duo Jac and James HIll. Based upon the Prickly Pear, a Latin American cactus with a long history of use in natural medicines and as a consumed fruit, Catus Water will join the likes of kombucha and coconut water as a refreshing drink low in calories and high in functional ingredients such as electrolytes, collagen and nootropics.
Selling at $5.50 per 250mL can or $60 per 12-pack, BetterDays is a perfect example that youth are open to premiumisation if a product fulfils their needs.
BetterDays is currently only available through their website and selected retailers, making it a solid option for off-premise alcohol retailers looking for a premium non-alcoholic alternative to keep in touch with the changing times.
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