Online searches: wine is the most popular agro-food product. Bubbles are booming

The reason might be because many people have decided to stay at home, not taking into consideration whether or not restrictions may be coming shortly, or it might be because right now is the perfect time to indulge in something special to enjoy together with your closest friends and loved ones. In any case, and just a few days before the end of the year, online searches for wines and spirits are soaring, together with parlor games. These are the results according to the latest survey by IDEALO (Europe's leading price comparison portal), which analyzed the preferences of Italians in view of the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays. Wine is driving the beverage sector, while interest for wine, together with liqueurs, has grown a further + 6.5% following last year. The reason or tis is that in 2020 there was an all over boom and flourish in e-commerce, which stimulated the creation and growth of many new digital wine shops as well as digitized sales at wineries, because wineries have had to cope with extreme drops in offline sales due to the Pandemic. Consistent with the latest trends in online alcohol purchases, Italians are also looking online for bottles to celebrate the next New Year’s toast with friends and relatives. Moreover, online interest in the entire category increased + 98% during the first two weeks of December.
Bubbles, synonymous with toasts, guided the “recovery”, therefore, we are talking about sparkling wines, Prosecco and Champagne. Online interest for bubbles was equal to 52% of user searches, considering the first half of December 2021. After meal liqueurs and spirits follow, with rum standing at 11%, followed by whiskey (10%), spirits (9%) and wines (8%) which, over the last two weeks, have registered a lower interest compared to “bubbles”. They are nevertheless, this year’s real winners in the “alcohol” category, registering a boom in online searches in 2021 more than + 90% compared to the previous year. Liqueurs are in second place in the 2021 ranking marking +52% increase and Cognac & Brandy in third place, at + 33% increase. The e-shopper “in charge” of choosing wines and spirits during the upcoming holidays is typically a man (59%). Age-wise, he is a person between 25 and 34 years old (26%). Searches are conducted mainly from mobile phones (84%). Furthermore, a great toast may be accompanied by an exciting board game, another great holiday season “classic”. Online interest in the entire category grew + 111% in the first two weeks of December, while some of the favorites are board games for adults, from the classic ones, “Monopoly” and “Pictionary” to the new “The House of Paper Escape Game ”.