Gen Z drives boom in boxed wine – as it’s cheaper and more sustainable

Younger drinkers are ditching bottled wine in favour of more convenient alternatives, according to a leading retailer.

While Gen Z might be the most teetotal generation, they’re also driving sales of boxed and canned wine, new Ocado data suggests.

Canned wines are proving a popular and convenient option for shoppers, with sales of M&S California Rosé increasing 541 per cent over the last year, and Canned Wine Co’s Gamay up 212 per cent.

There has even been a resurgence of once-derided boxed wine, driven by Gen Z – adults aged between 18 and 28 – who say they prefer the convenience and think that it has improved in quality.

Almost three in five are happy to drink wine from a box or a can, with 63 per cent believing they offer better value.

Cheers! Gen Z opt for canned and boxed wine over bottles, according to Ocado data 

Sales of boxed Nice Pale French Rosé have rocketed 559 per cent over the last year, while Isla Negra Sauvignon Blanc increased 73 per cent.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the environment is another driving factor, with 59 per cent of Gen Z drinkers seeing boxed wine as more sustainable, compared to 46 per cent of the wider population.

Social media is driving interest in wine more generally, with over half of Gen Z shoppers saying TikTok and Instagram have improved their knowledge of it.

Vanessa Pearson, beer, wine and spirits trading manager at Ocado Retail, said: ‘These formats offer flexibility, especially in the summer, while the locally-sourced movement aligns with the more conscious choices that customers are making.’

At the same time, sales of English wine are up 17 per cent year-on-year on Ocado, with sales of the canned wine Uncommon growing 32 per cent. 

Gen Z might be eyeing wine alternatives, but there is a also a growing market for no and low alcohol products.

Among the most popular products on Ocado has been Thatchers Zero cider, with sales up 90 per cent over 2024, while Tanqueray alcohol-free gin increased 32 per cent.

Adnams Ghost Ship 0.5 per cent ale remains a firm favourite, with sales up 22 per cent over the last year.

Similarly, Guinness Zero has proved a hit with drinkers. 

In 2023, owner Diageo announced it would aim to triple production of its zero-alcohol brand in response to changing tastes.

The drink, which launched in 2021, is on course to account for 10 per cent of all Guinness sales in Ireland in the coming years.

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