Wine Intelligence, an English market research company, recently published its annual report on the Swedish wine market. (BKWine was among those interviewed for input.) Swedish wine consumers have, the report writes, a good brand awareness and a willingness to jump on new trends, largely due to Systembolaget’s ability to implement thorough and consistent marketing strategies, they say.
(Sweden has an alcohol monopoly and Systembolaget, owned by the state, is the only retail chain that can sell alcohol. But they do not do product-oriented marketing so the logic is hard to understand.)
Nevertheless, there are also reasons for concern, the report says. There are signs that the wine market is close to its peak and that consumers who drink wine regularly become more conservative in their choices. Those over the age of 55 account for just over half of all wine drunk in Sweden. These are the ones who most likely drink wine daily or weekly. But they are also more price sensitive than other age groups.
And, the report says, because half of them “know what they like and tend to stick to what they know”, this can make it harder for new brands, regions, styles or formats to break through.
The age group 25–39 consistently spends 5–10% more per bottle than others, regardless of the occasion.
The proportion of red wine is declining in Sweden, but sparkling wine continues to be in high demand, especially the cheaper varieties such as prosecco and cava. Half of all Swedish wine drinkers have drunk a bottle of prosecco in the past year.
Read more: Wineintelligence
