A recent Beer Business Daily email offered some interesting insight into Gen Z. In case you were unsure like me, the Gen Z generation was born between 1997 and 2012 and is currently aged 10-25. They comprise the youngest group of the legal drinking age (LDA) consumers, but that 21-25 group is also influential and impressionable. Additionally, 40% of Gen Z legal drinkers are mostly influenced by social media.
• 51% of Gen Z research brands via social media
• 38% of Gen Z are finding products to purchase
• 26% of Gen Z follow restaurants, events, and food & drink personalities
• 26% of Gen Z get brand recommendations
• The typical Gen Z spends 3+hours a day on social media
In other words, they often look to their social network to help make their purchase decisions rather than the staff in your establishment. It is not only Gen Z. Every generation has a share of people that look online for information. For example, I often look to Untappd for beer reviews and Vivino for wine tips. It reinforces the importance for all of us to have a strong social media presence.
The desire for variety is a reality in our industry and life. Gen Z has grown up in a society with unlimited options. If you have been in our industry for any time, you can probably remember when there were significantly fewer choices.
While many people enjoy the opportunity to try new products, there are also many people that can get overwhelmed at times by the sheer volume of options,
myself included. The explosion of new products has added complexity to our industry, but Gen Z and many of our consumers have responded positively. Our consumers expect us to embrace that increased selection, and we have worked to continue to provide you with new and exciting products.
While Flying Fish has been providing outstanding craft products for over 25 years, they continue to innovate and bring new brands to market. Read about the Headless Horseman, a higher ABV pumpkin beer on page 6. I am looking forward to sampling the new higher ABV Angry Orchard Hardcore Dark Cherry Apple. Sounds perfect for a fall evening. You can learn more on page 9. Some Gen Z prefer to have low or nonalcoholic drinks as an option. One of our new offerings is Sierra Nevada Hop Splash which is a sparkling water made with Citra and Amarillo hops but has zero alcohol, zero calories, and is loaded with flavor. Sounds interesting! Turn to page 9 for more details. As we head into fall, we look forward to providing you with the brands and services to help you succeed. While we continue to deal with supply chain issues, your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your continued support.
Mark Kramer
President
About Kramer Beverage
Kramer Beverage is South Jersey’s largest award-winning beer wholesaler, owned and operated by four generations of the Kramer family since 1924. Kramer Beverage is based out of Hammonton, Atlantic County, and services eight counties in southern New Jersey with top brands from MolsonCoors, Constellation, Yuengling, Boston Beer, Heineken USA, Pabst, Diageo, FIFCO, and more. Kramer Beverage also distributes wide variety of craft beers, from suppliers such as New Belgium and Sierra Nevada, to local favorites including Flying Fish, Double Nickel, Evil Genius, Glasstown, and 2SP. For more information on Kramer Beverage, please visit www.kramerbev.com.