Beverage trends are constantly evolving - especially when it comes to the booming industries of hard seltzers and other types of alcohol. As a hard seltzer business owner or operator, you’ll want to keep up with hard seltzer trends to avoid becoming obsolete.
Wholesale alcohol sales for hard seltzer show a few big trends that you’ll want to keep an eye on. This exciting industry has many opportunities to succeed if you can understand the industry and its changing trends. Read on to learn about four hard seltzer trends to look out for in 2024.
5 Hard Seltzer Trends
1. Unique Flavors
Consumers today crave new and exciting products. They seek out flavors they haven’t tried. Many people are even willing to try flavors they’ve never heard of.
Hard seltzer consumers are also more likely to want to try unique flavor combinations. You can use this trend to your advantage for your hard seltzer business.
Social media trends influenced the popularity of innovative hard seltzer flavors. Unique flavors often gain attention on social media. This draws in consumers to try the product. Celebrity endorsements and influencers trying the product also garner attention.
One hard seltzer trend in 2024 is the use of unconventional flavors. Popular flavors include exotic fruits and interesting flavor combinations.
Offering combinations like this is one way to set yourself apart from the competition. Unconventional flavors in your hard seltzers can help you sell more of these high demand products.
Another way to use innovative flavors to your advantage is by offering exclusive product flavors. Offering flavors or products on a limited-time basis is one of the most common hard seltzer trends this year. Only having flavors in stock on a limited basis creates a sense of urgency in the consumer. You can offer novel or seasonal flavors for a short period of time to encourage consumers to make an immediate purchase.
Many companies participate in this trend by offering specialized products and flavors during the winter holidays. One example of this is Truly, one of the top hard seltzer distributors in the market today. They offer holiday packs with festive flavors that often end up being a top-seller of the year.
Key Takeaway: You can use unique flavors in your hard seltzer to set yourself apart from the competition. Bold, interesting flavors can gain customer attention and influence a purchase.
2. Sustainable Packaging
Sustainability is a popular trend across the board. From the hard seltzer or beer market to the seafood industry, sustainable products and packaging are in high demand. This makes it one of the top hard seltzer trends to look out for this year.
Consumers today are very conscious of the ecological impact of the food products that they buy. Consumers are willing to go out of their way to purchase products that seem like they’re better for the environment due to the importance of sustainability. Your hard seltzer packaging should be environmentally friendly in order to help the environment and appeal to consumers.
There are many ways to increase the sustainability of your hard seltzer packaging. Recyclable packaging is one way that many hard seltzer brands encourage sustainability. You can also streamline your shipping and handling processes so that they create less harmful emissions.
Eco-friendly initiatives can improve consumer loyalty to your hard seltzer brand. Incorporate sustainability as a core value of your business in order to keep up with this year’s hard seltzer trends leaning towards sustainability.
3. Craft Seltzer
Another recent consumer preference is specialized products. People want a unique customer experience. This preference means that craft and artisanal seltzers are among the top hard seltzer trends to watch out for this year. Craft alcoholic beverages, including many types of craft beer and craft seltzers, are popular options in the alcoholic beverage market.
Offering locally crafted hard seltzers is a great way to hop on this trend. Many craft brands create hard seltzers with unique flavors or ingredients, which is appealing to consumers. Oftentimes, they even use local ingredients or flavor combinations. Craft seltzers can help you to expand to niche markets that prefer certain unique flavors. You can also access smaller markets that might not have as much competition.
Craft seltzer is also a great way to create exclusivity within your brand. Local, small-batch seltzers are among the popular hard seltzer trends. Limited availability and exclusive flavors are a great way to create demand for your hard seltzer company.
Another aspect of craft and artisanal hard seltzer trends is the trend toward supporting local businesses. Whether you’re in hard seltzer wholesale distribution or own a craft seltzer business, you can use local hard seltzer companies. Many people feel more inclined to purchase locally made food and drink products.
4. Health and Wellness
Beverages that promote health and wellness are also a big trend for 2024. Hard seltzer trends show a growing focus on health-conscious drink options. Between the growing demand for healthy snack ideas and healthy foods and beverages, it’s worth exploring this hard seltzer trend.
Today’s consumers want healthy options. There are many ways to participate in hard seltzer trends related to health and wellness.
One way to join this trend is by advertising the natural health benefits of the drink. This includes marketing that your hard seltzer is a low-calorie and gluten-free beverage.
Many popular hard seltzers also market the fact that their drinks contain antioxidants. Your wholesale marketing strategy can benefit from advertising the healthy traits of your hard seltzer.
5. Social Media
Hard seltzer is a very trendy social media topic. You can harness the power of social media as a tool for your hard seltzer brand.
Many of the top hard seltzer companies have a strong presence on social media. They use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to show people enjoying their products. Celebrity endorsements, influencers, and user-generated content are all ways to showcase your hard seltzer on social media.
You can also offer exclusive promotions on social media. Paid ads or discounts on your hard seltzer’s social media page can be a good way to attract customers. You can also use giveaways or challenges to encourage people to interact with your social media and purchase your hard seltzer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hard Seltzer Trends
It can be hard to keep up with constantly changing hard seltzer trends. The hard seltzer industry’s rapid growth means that trends come and go quickly. Understanding hard seltzer trends can help you stay ahead of the competition. Read these frequently asked questions to learn more about hard seltzer trends to look out for in 2024.
Are hard seltzers healthier than other alcoholic beverages?
Hard seltzers are generally considered to be a healthier alternative than other alcoholic beverages. Hard seltzers have many qualities that make them healthier than other alcoholic drinks.
Hard seltzers are gluten-free, low sugar, and low carb. They also have low alcohol content at around 4-6% ABV. This is very low compared to the average wine alcohol content of around 12%. The health and wellness aspect of hard seltzer is one of this year’s biggest hard seltzer trends.
How can I keep up with the most current hard seltzer trends?
You can keep up with hard seltzer trends by following market and industry trends and analyzing consumer data. Because the hard seltzer market has grown so rapidly in recent years, hard seltzer trends are constantly changing.
Some of the biggest hard seltzer trends of 2024 include innovative flavors, sustainability, craft options, and a focus on health and wellness. It can also be helpful to follow the most popular hard seltzer brands on social media to keep up with what they’re doing.
Why are craft hard seltzer options so popular?
Craft hard seltzers are popular because of trends towards locally sourced products, as well as because of their unique and limited flavors. The exclusivity and limited amounts of craft seltzer cause this type of seltzer to be very popular.
Craft seltzers also often have unique flavors, especially ones that contain regional ingredients. Craft seltzers are one of the top hard seltzer trends in 2024.