NoLo

NoLo is an industry portmanteau combining 'No Alcohol' and 'Low Alcohol,' used primarily in trade and retail contexts to describe the combined market segment of beverages below 1.2% ABV. It is widely adopted in European retail and hospitality reporting.

The NoLo acronym emerged in UK trade press around 2018-2019 as the combined non-alcoholic and low-alcohol segment grew large enough to warrant unified market reporting. It reflects the commercial reality that consumers shopping in this space often move fluidly between 0.0% products and low-alcohol alternatives (0.5–1.2% ABV), making the combined category more meaningful for retail buyers and hospitality operators than either segment alone.

Market research firms including IWSR and NielsenIQ use NoLo as a standard reporting category, enabling trend tracking across geographies. In 2023, the global NoLo market was valued at approximately $11 billion USD, with beer constituting the largest sub-segment by volume and spirits alternatives showing the fastest growth rate.

For producers, positioning within the NoLo umbrella has commercial advantages: it avoids the stigma some consumers associate with terms like 'mocktail' or 'non-alcoholic,' and it signals alignment with a recognized lifestyle trend rather than a niche medical need. Hospitality groups with dedicated NoLo menus — such as those in London, Amsterdam, and Melbourne — report that consumers spend more per visit when presented with curated NoLo options.

A nuance often missed: the 1.2% ABV ceiling for 'low alcohol' is not universal. Some markets define it differently, and certain products (notably low-alcohol wine in the EU) can legally carry different labels at the same ABV. Brands operating across markets must navigate this patchwork carefully.