It claims that rising prices will mean people continue to migrate to in-home drinking with some consumers priced out of the market all-together.
The report claims that “price pressures show no sign of abating” and this will continue to contribute to a decline in the number of people going out.
For example, its research revealed that 35% if consumers think drinking at home is less hassle than going to a bar, 27% that it is more intimate at home and 30% admit to not liking crowded bars.
However, despite these figures, one in three adults like having a local pub — even if they are not going to them — considering them an important part of the social fabric.
Mintel forecasts that two major markets — beer and wine — will see a sales decline over the next five years. Beer will see a sales slide due to an over-reliance on the declining pub sector and wine will suffer as a result of its reliance on imports.
Sales of lager, in particular, have fallen dramatically due to the decline of the pub sector and a lack of innovation in the sector, the report claims. The total alcoholic drinks sector saw value slide between 2006 and 2010 although Mintel claims this is set to recover with an estimated growth of 6.1% between 2011 and 2016.
Ready to Drink and alcopops have seen a dramatic decline — 50% between 2006 and 2010 — due to the negative publicity around their perceived associations with underage drinking.
However, consumers remain committed to eating out, although around half have not changed their eating out habits , a third of people have either reduced their expenditure on eating out per month or their frequency of visits.
Since 2000 the pub catering market has increased by 46% to be worth £6.1m in 2010. However, the growth has been “muted” in recent years, said Mintel, reflecting the overall decline in the market.