Younger consumers are celebrating differently, trading hangovers for low-dose THC beverages. Here’s how retailers can capture the sober-curious New Year crowd.
Something subtle but seismic is happening at the bar cart. Younger consumers are still going out, dressing up, and chasing that New Year’s sparkle — but increasingly, they’re skipping the booze. Instead of champagne flutes and cocktail shakers, low-dose THC spritzers and cannabis-infused seltzers are taking center stage, signaling a cultural shift retailers can no longer afford to ignore.
Time data shows the share of adults younger than 35 who drink alcohol dropped from 72 percent in the early 2000s to about 62 percent now. Gen Z, in particular, is drinking roughly 20 percent less alcohol per capita than millennials did at the same age and spending far less on booze overall.
For cannabis retailers and brands, that shift is a once-in-a-decade opportunity. Celebrating and socializing historically have belonged to champagne, spirits, and late-night bar tabs. Today, traditional beverages frequently are supplanted by low-dose THC spritzers, hemp seltzers, and other “sober curious” options that nevertheless feel elevated, social, and fun.
The question for retailers is how to catch the wave.
Read the full article at mg Magazine
