Behind the scenes of Dry July with bars, breweries and Os . bottles

Sell ​​July Dry ‘all year round’

Australia’s largest beverage retailer, Endeavor Group, expects sales of non-alcoholic products across Dan Murphy’s and BWS to double each July.

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“We’ve had some increased activity around zero alcohol selection in our stores this month,” said Endeavor Group director of purchasing and merchandising Tim Carroll. “We also do a lot of in-store tastings at BWS and Dan Murphy around the country.”

More broadly, sales in this category have grown 150 percent in the past 24 months, and liquor stores now keep more than 300 of these products on shelves.

“Customers aren’t driven by events like Dry July as much as they used to be,” says Carroll. “In contrast, customers are asking for alcohol-free options year-round and for many occasions.”

In this fast-growing category, alcohol-free beer is by far the most popular and mature. The chief executive of Australia’s largest independent brewer Brick Lane Brewery, where the production of cult favorite Heaps Normal, said the retailer contributed to a “huge increase” in sales and picked up a lot of in-store promotions.

“A dry July, for the last few years, was something new. This year, for me, it’s almost a turning point,” said Brick Lane Brewery chief executive Paul Bowker.

Brick Lane Brewery CEO Paul Bowker.

“Stores don’t have to really reinvent themselves to put out all this stock and display of non-alcoholic beer because it’s already there… For the first time, it didn’t really start from earlier this year.”

He hopes Dry July acts as a window of opportunity for traditional beer drinkers to turn into lifelong consumers. “These products … should be part of the drink list all year round.”

Carlton Zero is a popular alcohol-free beer order.Credit:Paul Jeffers

Australia’s biggest beverage player is determined not to be outdone by a new competitor. In the last 24 months, Lion Co has launched three non-alcoholic beers (Heineken 0.0, James Squire Zero, and XXXX Zero).

“It’s demand driven by our consumers,” said Lion Co’s head of marketing, Anubha Sahasrabuddhe. “Of course, our responsibility and duty is to meet their needs better than our competitors.”

Meanwhile, Asahi’s Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) includes Carlton Zero, Peroni Libera and Great Northern Zero in its portfolio. Lacey of Solotel said the most ordered non-alcoholic beer was a mix of old and new players, with Carlton Zero and Heineken 0.0 as popular as Heaps Normal and Aboriginal family company Sobah.

Those in the beverage business have realized the fact that they have found a way to open up new market segments. “It gives people more opportunities to enjoy beer,” said CUB CEO Danny Celoni.

“Imagine if we attract new customers to categories that were previously untapped,” said Lacey from Solotel.

The forgotten dry history of July

While sellers and brewers have seized on Dry July as the perfect opportunity to whip up their wares, little is known about the campaign’s genuine philanthropic roots.

Dry July was started in 2008 by three friends – each with a relationship with cancer – who decided to give up alcohol for a month with the aim of raising $3,000 for a new TV in a hospital waiting room. They eventually raised $250,000 and decided to set up the Dry July Foundation.

Since then, ‘Dry July’ has gained more momentum each year – but the foundation’s goal of raising money for cancer has struggled to penetrate the same level of public awareness as its campaign name.

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“We like to think that Dry July has played a part in this growing non-alcoholic beverage trend,” said Ashleigh Oliver, campaign manager and fundraiser for the Dry July Foundation. A survey of 290,000 participants last year showed 80 percent intend to drink less in the future after participating in Dry July.

“[It’s] our biggest challenge, just trying to turn Australian awareness into what we’re really doing here, which is raising money for cancer.”

The Dry July Foundation accepts donations until August 31.

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