Having blossomed from a niche trend among sober consumers to a diversified category, non-alcoholic (NA) alternatives is now finding its way onto more mainstream retail shelves.
What does this mean for the early adopters who helped pave the way to the category’s success through boutique bottle shops and on-premise bars?
Three entrepreneurs at the forefront of NA alternatives — Emily Heintz, the founder and chief curator of NA bottle shop Sèchey; Chris Marshall, founder of Sans Bar in Austin, Texas; and Nick Bodkins, the founder of Boisson — offered insights into the category’s and why there is still room for smaller retailers to operate as demand grows.
“It’s really about the experience,” Heintz said. “You want customers to come and enjoy being in the store and learning about the products on-shelf. We can all agree that the alternative beverage category could use a lot of education and the best way to do that is the in-person experience.”
The discussion covers the role of on-premise bars in bringing new consumers and “zebra-stripers” to alcohol-free drinks, the challenges of operating in brick-and-mortar, and how mass and conventional chains might not pose as much of a threat to the specialty NA channel.