How Is Craft Beer Recovering in 2021?
Just a few years ago, everyone went wild about craft beer. That interest began dying off before breweries could smoothly switch tacks and reduce inventory. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic made it even worse. Even when they reopened months later, it wasn’t in people’s top priority for going out.
They had renewed interest in craft beer, though. When states legalized selling alcohol to-go, consumers started ordering from the local breweries they frequented pre-pandemic. Still, that wasn’t enough to keep many businesses afloat. Now craft beer sales are on the rise again. Although demand isn’t at its all-time peak, customers have a renewed interest in going out.
What Craft Beer Is Selling Now
For the first time in awhile, brewers feel comfortable starting new ventures. This indicates a rise in demand significant enough to profit on. It should come as no surprise that in-person customers want what they were getting at home. With the renewed interest in craft beer came an overall surge in alcohol sales, which makes sense given that lockdown had people bored. Now customers are ordering stronger beers and buying more IPAs. Breweries trying to garner attention might expand their selection in accordance with trends like this.
These aren’t the only changes sweeping the consumer marketplace. Healthy alternatives like hard seltzer and kombucha are increasingly popular. Customers have been paying better attention to their physical wellbeing these past couple years, and it reflects in their consumption habits. Although you may be known for the best pale ale in town, expanding your demographic with tempting menu items could be the key to long-term success.
Keys to a Successful Brewery
The food and drink service industry is fast-past and subject to change. Customer preferences are mercurial, so the most successful breweries have built-in flexibility and can adapt to the times as they change. Whether that means adding hard seltzer to the menu or investing in Point of Sale technology that scales with your business, depends on your abilities and customer base.
Preparing for your future is always a good investment, too. Maybe you get more customers by opening a second location somewhere with more demand. You can restructure your marketing and branding approach to pull in new guests there. For example, if you want to attract younger generations, focus more on digital marketing or push the delivery sales that will likely keep coming in now that people are used to the convenience of takeaway. For growth and flexibility no matter where you choose to take your business next, equip your brewery with the latest in hospitality tech.
