The annual tradition of "Dry January" turned into “Damp Monday” at one supermarket, with shoppers returning to alcohol consumption in the middle of the month.
Waitrose said that the month was "not so dry after all," identifying January 12 as "Damp Monday" after sales of wines, beers, and spirits surged by 11 per cent compared to the week before.
The grocer noted a "significant softening" of the Dry January trend over the past five years, suggesting a more balanced "Damp January" approach is now prevalent.
While alcohol sales in January 2022 were 42 per cent lower than other months, this year saw a reduced drop of just 25 per cent.
Notably, Argentinian and Chilean wine sales experienced a considerable boost last month, rising by 25 per cent and 27 per cent respectively compared to the previous year.
Compared to this time last year, searches on Waitrose.com for “Argentinian wine”, “red wine” and “Chilean wine” were up 300%, 63% and 18% respectively.
Pierpaolo Petrassi, head of beers, wines and spirits at Waitrose, said: “Damp is the new dry, as we’re seeing customers move away from the ‘all-or-nothing’ mentality and instead look towards more mindful, ‘damp’ moderation rather than quit entirely.
“This shift sees the likes of a luxury Argentinian Cabernet sitting comfortably alongside premium non-alcoholic spirits as sophisticated sips, proving that the modern palate values flavour profiles and social connection over the buzz alone.
“No doubt the no and low trend skyrocketed in 2022 as the result of the ‘pandemic reset’ transitioning out of the final lockdowns, as well as the ‘sober curious’ movement going mainstream on social media.
“Now, 2026 is the ‘lifestyle’ year, with customers finding balance as part of a more tempered, year-round approach to drinking.”
Data reported by The Spirits Business trade publication from early this year suggested that while 58% of the UK public aimed to cut back, a significant portion – roughly 31% – had opted for a “damp January” – reducing intake rather than cutting it out entirely.
