French Supermarket Alcohol Sales Fell 0.7%

Purchases of alcohol in French supermarkets fell 0.7% in volume in 2025, according to retail data cited by Stratégies, as consumers continued to shift away from traditional drinks and toward lower-alcohol and alcohol-free options.

The decline was uneven across categories. Red wine, long one of the most important products in French grocery aisles, dropped 6.8% over the year. Champagne sales fell 4.4%, while whisky purchases were down 5.2%. The figures point to a broader change in drinking habits in France, where shoppers are buying less alcohol overall and showing more interest in products without alcohol.

The trend matters for supermarkets, wine producers and spirits makers because it affects shelf space, pricing and inventory planning at a time when retailers are already adjusting to slower demand in several food and beverage categories. The drop in volume also suggests that the pressure is not limited to one segment of the market but is spreading across wine, sparkling wine and spirits.

At the same time, sales of alcohol-free products increased, reinforcing a pattern that has been building for several years as consumers look for alternatives with lower alcohol content or no alcohol at all. That shift has been visible in beer, wine-style drinks and ready-to-drink beverages, and it is now affecting mainstream retail sales in France’s large supermarket chains.

For wine producers, the decline in red wine is especially significant because it reflects a continuing erosion in a category that has historically dominated French consumption. Champagne’s weaker performance also points to softer demand for celebratory drinks in everyday retail channels, even as premium sales may hold up better in restaurants and specialty shops.

The data comes as French retailers face a market where shoppers are more selective, more price-sensitive and more open to changing their habits than they were a decade ago.