Product, individual and environmental factors impacting the consumption of no and low alcoholic drinks: A systematic review and future research agenda

Abstract

The no and low alcohol (NOLO) drinks industry is undergoing a significant transformation Currently the nolo beer market is worth $9.5billion globally and is predicted to grow 7.5 % a year until 2026 (Lawton, 2022). Our review seeks to answer research questions relating to understanding the current state of scholarly research on NOLO consumption and areas for future research. Using the three elements of the Mojet model: Product factors, Individual factors, and Environmental factors we analyse research highlighted through a systematic literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses framework (PRISMA) process. 60 articles published between 1990 and 2023 were selected from three comprehensive databases (Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO) and subjected to analysis. Only papers focused on NOLO and consumers were included with papers not peer reviewed or in English excluded. The review reveals that while research has examined all Mojet areas the results are often contradictory and extensive further research is needed to fully understand the area of NOLO consumer behaviour. Additionally, the extant research is theoretically weak, draws predominantly on quantitative data and is geographically narrow focusing principally on studies in the Global North. We complete our review by proposing a future research agenda, dedicated to a comprehensive understanding of NOLO consumers, focusing on all Mojet factors fully and with more geographically, methodologically, and theoretically diverse projects.