‘Dry January’ turns into ‘damp Monday’ for Waitrose shoppers, grocer reports

So-called “dry January’ turned into “damp Monday” mid-month when shoppers started adding alcohol back into their baskets, a supermarket has reported.

Waitrose said the month appeared to be not so dry after all, naming January 12 as “damp Monday” due to shoppers sending sales of wines, beers and spirits up 11% compared to the week before.

The upmarket grocer said it had seen a “significant softening” of the dry January trend over the last five years, “signalling a more balanced ‘damp January’ approach”.

Alcohol sales in January 2022 were 42% lower than other months of the year, but this had fallen to a 25% drop this January.

Sales of Argentinian and Chilean wine had soared by 25% and 27% respectively last month compared to a year earlier.

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.