Consumption of alcohol and meat has noticeably decreased in January over the past years, with actions like “Dry January” or “Veganuary” contributing to this trend. This is also reflected in the shopping behavior of many people at the cash registers of large supermarket chains, as the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported on Tuesday, based on scanner data from the food retail trade.
In January 2024, a total of 49.7 percent less alcohol was purchased than in December 2023. The sales of meat also decreased by 29.4 percent in the same period. Compared to the average of 2023, the sales of alcohol in January 2024 were 32.0 percent lower, and the sales of meat were 12.5 percent lower.
In the beginning of 2024, fewer than half as many sweets, such as chocolate or cakes, were purchased as in December 2023 (-59.6 percent). For comparison: in January 2024, the sales of sweets were 42.5 percent lower than the average of 2023.
The December is traditionally the month with the highest sales of alcohol, sweets, and meat, due to the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations and the associated festivities and family gatherings. In December 2023, supermarkets sold 24.0 percent more meat, 35.3 percent more alcohol, and 42.4 percent more sweets than the average of 2023.
Besides New Year’s resolutions, other factors such as calendar effects or seasonal fluctuations due to the absence of festive events and the development of consumer prices may also play a role in the sales of the food retail trade, as the statisticians pointed out.