Take a look below for the rest of Global Drinks Intel’s review of the year
India’s domestic spirits industry is in the midst of a remarkable transformation. This lucrative, yet complex, market is being shaped by premiumisation, craft experimentation and shifting consumer preferences.
Japan’s alcohol market is undergoing a seismic shift as health-conscious consumers, bold innovation and surging demand for RTDs are challenging decades-old drinking traditions.
The South Korean market is one of the most dynamic in the Asia Pacific region, with strong potential for both local and international brands. At the moment, however, the country finds itself in a delicate position, grappling with the ongoing effects of major disruptions to the global supply chain and significant shifts in consumer behaviour and purchasing patterns in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Systembolaget has long dominated Sweden’s alcohol market, making the company one of Europe’s biggest beverage retailers. But, as new reforms are poised to take effect, is the state-owned giant’s monopoly beginning to crumble?
Official banquets are out, convenient online deliveries are in. China’s beverage alcohol market has been evolving to face the country’s post-pandemic future in a changing world.
If key economic indicators were cast-iron guarantees of success, the spirits market in Spain would be in rude health. But, despite the country’s strong headline economic figures, IWSR predicts that total beverage alcohol volumes in Spain will grow at a paltry CAGR of 1% over the next three years, with spirits forecast to remain flat at 0% over the same period.
France’s spirits producers appear to be cautious about their home market, but many noted a slight improvement in trading conditions this year.
In the US, Circana, which measures retail performance across grocery, convenience and multi-outlet stores, has been watching closely as 2025 shapes up to be unfavourable, as high hopes for summer sales have left many in the alcohol industry feeling the burn.
Every bottle of alcohol sold in Türkiye is a triumph over state regulation, high taxes and ideological disapproval. Despite these hurdles, this fascinating market still has enormous scope for growth.
The cruise retail channel has rapidly become the darling of the wider global travel retail industry. Blessed by a rapidly growing pool of affluent captive customers – in 2024, a record-breaking 34.6m people took a cruise, a 9% year-on-year increase – the cruise business is also going upmarket.
Championing diversity, staying agile and doubling down on its decentralised business model is helping Tops at Spar compete in South Africa’s challenging off-premise.
As the UK’s largest independent drinks wholesaler, LWC blends scale, local knowledge and sustainability to navigate a challenging on-premise channel and keep the pints and profits flowing.
Large parts of Germany’s beverage alcohol market are in worrying structural decline. Beer and wine, two cornerstones of the country’s drinks industry, are being squeezed hard by demographic shifts that include a larger number of non-drinking Muslim citizens, an ageing wider population and more health-conscious behaviour among younger people.
