Despite the stereotype for having a willingness to eat out at restaurants instead of cooking, new research indicates that when it comes to drinking, most millennials prefer to drink from the comfort of their home instead of going to a bar.
According to a recent analysis of alcohol consumption trends by the marketing firm Mintel, new data indicates that more than 1 in 4 millennials aged 24-31 (28 percent) prefer to drink at home to save themselves the efforts of going out to bars with friends. According to experts, the trend of in-home drinking is expected to grow in the coming years due to an increasing frugal nature among millennials.
“Today, Millennials are currently leading the way when it comes to socializing in the home, but the preference for at-home drinking will likely be even greater among the up-and-coming iGeneration, who are generally regarded as more frugal and pragmatic than Millennials,” Caleb Bryant, a senior food service analyst at Mintel, said in a statement. “Bars and restaurants must work harder than ever to provide customers with a unique drinking experience.”
Bryant also cited a growing desire among millennials for a “unique drinking experience” over the traditional bar experience, noting that social media plays a big role.
“For example, an ‘Instagramable’ pop culture pop-up bar offers an experience that can’t be replicated from consumers’ living rooms,” he said.
The research also indicated that a growing proportion of Americans appear to be valuing drink quality over quantity, noting that while the quantity-per-capita of alcohol consumed by the average American appears to be falling, total bar sales are on the rise, indicating a willingness by individuals to try more expensive, unique drinks that normally would not be available in the home setting.
“Millennials enjoy experimenting with new drinks on-premise, with this adventurous behavior indicating an opportunity for food service retailers to innovate their drink menus and create better experiences to further encourage consumers to drink more away from home,” said Bryant.
