me&u, Australia’s leading mobile ordering and payment platform, has revealed that spirits have experienced exponential growth over the past year, with sales at pubs and bars increasing by an astronomical 400% year on year from March 2020 to March 2021.
According to the analysis, the most ordered spirits listed in popularity are vodka, gin, rum and whisky. These have all seen significant growth, but in particular, vodka and gin have roughly doubled in demand. Industry insiders note this might be due to consumer perception that Gin and Vodka are better suited to a balanced lifestyle due to their low-calories credentials.
Customers are no longer just ordering the standard house spirits either, but instead opting for their favourite homegrown or international premium brands. Operators note that this is largely due to personalisation of technology; the me&u platform makes orders more accessible; customers can see the entire range of spirits available, encouraging choice by prompting customers with different spirits brands and making it less intimidating for customers who may otherwise opt for the house pour out of ease. For example, at The Royal Oak in Double Bay, 70% of vodka orders through me&u requested a premium brand, like Grey Goose and Belvedere.
Matthew Murray, Group General Manager of Royal Hotels Group, says, “Since we introduced the technology, we have seen guest behaviour change. Customers no longer feel silly for not being able to pronounce a brand correctly or feel uncomfortable asking for the price difference between items. It is now all at their fingertips and they are happy to explore the ranges we have on offer and spend appropriately”.
Cocktails have also made up almost 20% of all drinks ordered on me&u, a sharp increase from pre-COVID behaviour, with customers excited to be out in venues again and happy to spend money on skilfully prepared drinks. With me&u, menus also have the ability to feature key items with beautiful imagery and descriptions at the top of their menu, inspiring people to try new cocktails over standard beers.
Murray continued, “It’s not really surprising to see the uplift we have experienced in certain categories of spirits and cocktails. It’s reflective of the tech; visual prompts help how our customers interact with our different offerings and make conscious decisions to step up from an entry level item”.
me&u Founder, Stevan Premutico, says, “We’ve seen a new type of customer emerge post-COVID and a big comeback recently in regards to spirits and the custom style drinks list. We believe this is because Aussies were ready to be more curious, adventurous and explore a more varied drinks list after being stuck at home for long periods during COVID-19. Customers were mostly consuming beers and wines during their time spent in isolation, but once the restrictions were lifted, we saw an increase in embracing a more distinct beverage like spirits and cocktails”.
Venues are also reporting that customer behaviour has shown an increase in sober curiosity and a demand for alternative drinks and more non-alcoholic beverages on menus for those who still want to go out to pubs and bars and feel a part of the occasion. Melbourne venue, Wesley Anne, has seen a 50% increase in sales of non-alcoholic beverages since October last year, and me&u predicts that this category will continue to see massive growth over the next year with its venue partners already seeing such a noticeable shift.
Nathan Muller, Owner of Wesley Anne, says, “We have seen a big upwards trend in our customers requesting non-alcoholic drinks and we are looking to respond to this demand by expanding and diversifying our offering with more non-alcoholic beers, wines and mocktails”.
Spirits Soar! me&u reveals 400% increase in on-premise spirit sales post-COVID re-opening
