Sober-Curious Summer? How Canadian Liquor Stores Can Cater to the Non-Alcoholic Trend

The sober curious movement has taken hold in liquor markets worldwide. The trend is not a passing fad. Instead, it’s being driven by the lifestyles of Millennials and Gen-Z, many of whom choose to live more healthfully, and bring mindfulness to how they live and what they consume.The movement is having a marked influence on the non-alcoholic drinks industry – deepening adult beverage categories and offerings and marketing strategies of bars, nightclubs, lounges and liquor stores. Producers are eager to capitalize and explore new and bold ways to jump on the wagon with Millennials and Gen-Z, understanding that otherwise, they would be ignoring the two largest demographics.

The 2025 Leger study on Millennial and Gen-Z drinking habits, “Beyond the Buzz” revealed that a large segment of the two groups have tried popular non-alcohol drink options, including mocktails (43%), non-alcohol cider (37%), cannabis-infused beverages (33%), alcohol-free beer (31%), non-alcohol wine (28%) and alcohol-free spirits (28%). Source: “Beyond the Buzz 2025: Gen Z & Millennials Embrace the Sober Curious Movement”, Leger.

It’s Not Too Late for Liquor Stores to Heed the Need

If you run a liquor store, you might be hesitant to stock too many non-alcohol choices this summer. It’s understandable. After all, you naturally might think “Why would a non-drinker visit a liquor store?” Well, first of all, the sober-curious movement is not a temperance movement that promotes complete abstinence. According to Maeve O’Neil, a behavioral health expert, the movement doesn’t stigmatize alcohol consumption – it empowers individuals to choose mindful consumption of alcohol, sometimes reaching for a real fruit-infused non-alcohol spritzer rather than a beer or hard drink. In other words, they won’t be entering your liquor store shamefully, disguised so as not to alert the sobriety police!

Easy Sober-Curious Marketing Strategies this Summer

Below are some easy-to-implement strategies for promoting non-alcohol or low-alcohol options in your liquor store this summer.

• Create a dedicated non-alcohol section but stock conservatively
  Go for it and test the waters or be conservative and only stock popular products. You can always change course when you learn more about sales volumes for non-alcohol SKUs. Use signage with graphics to make the section easy to find, but don’t make it more prominent than your alcohol products sections. After all, you run a liquor store, not a corner store, so alcoholic beverages should always be the backbone. Consult with Thrive Liquor & Cannabis Advisors for guidance.
• Host tastings
  Talk to your liquor agents and ask them to curate hot choices for a tasting event.
• Promote non-alcohol alternatives
  In sections of your store (wine, spirits, cocktails) don’t be afraid to promote non-alcohol alternatives. Signage can guide the sober curious to your dedicated non-alcohol section.
• Emphasize local brands
  The “Buy Canadian” and “Buy Local” craze is here to stay. Feature local brewers and distillers of non-alcohol options.
• Educate your staff and they’ll educate your customers
  If your employees don’t know much about non-alcohol or low-alcohol options, they can’t educate sober-curious customers. Train your staff. Teach them about what it means to be sober curious and train them to know your non-alcohol/low-alcohol options.
• Pricing – consider non-alcohol products as a speciality / speculative
  They are often made with higher end ingredients and are promoted as lux or craft-centred products. Price accordingly because sober-curious shoppers are willing to pay a premium for these products.

Thinking About Sober-Curious Marketing? Talk to the Experts at Thrive!

If you want to dip your toes in the sober-curious waters and don’t know where to start, talk to Thrive Advisors. We’ll help you plan and implement marketing strategies that work!