The Rise of Buying Beer online

The COVID-19 pandemic changed many aspects of everyday life, including how and where people bought food and drink. One of the most noticeable shifts was the rapid growth of buying beers online, as lockdowns and social-distancing measures pushed more consumers towards online shopping.

While online retail was already growing before 2020, the pandemic accelerated the trend significantly. For beer drinkers, that meant discovering new ways to buy lager, craft beer, imported beer and mixed cases without relying solely on supermarkets, pubs or local bottle shops.

That shift also encouraged breweries and specialist retailers to improve their online services, giving UK drinkers access to a much broader range of beer than many would previously have found locally.

Today, buying beer online in the UK is no longer just a response to lockdowns. For many drinkers, it has become a convenient way to discover new breweries, compare styles and have beer delivered directly to their door.

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The Surge in Online Beer Sales: How Did the Pandemic Change Beer Shopping?

Before the pandemic, online shopping was already expanding steadily, but COVID-19 accelerated that growth dramatically.

According to the World Economic Forum, online shopping increased significantly as lockdown restrictions kept consumers at home and encouraged them to use digital channels for everyday purchases. (World Economic Forum)

The shift was particularly noticeable in food and drink. The Office for National Statistics reported a sharp increase in the proportion of online sales from food stores during the pandemic. (ONS Blog)

Beer was part of that change.

Independent craft breweries, many of which relied heavily on pubs, taprooms and hospitality before the pandemic, had to find new ways to reach customers directly.

According to BeverageDaily, independent craft brewers experienced a significant decline in volumes in 2020, while around a third of Society of Independent Brewers members launched a webshop during the pandemic. (BeverageDaily)

Those online shops helped breweries remain connected with customers and created another route to market that continued to be useful once hospitality reopened.

Why Did Buying Beer Online Become So Popular?

Convenience played a major role.

During lockdown, consumers who might previously have picked up beer from a supermarket or enjoyed it in a pub suddenly had fewer options.

Online retailers offered a practical alternative.

But convenience was only part of the story.

Specialist online beer shops also made it much easier to access:

• imported beers
• craft beer
• German beer
• Belgian beer
• American beer
• mixed beer cases
• alcohol-free beer
• mini kegs
• brewery-specific multipacks

That level of choice is difficult for a typical supermarket to replicate.

For someone interested in discovering new beers, buying online meant being able to browse by country, brewery or beer style rather than simply choosing from whatever happened to be available locally.

Beerhunter’s mixed beer cases, for example, allow drinkers to try beers from different breweries and countries without committing to a full case of one product.

How Did Consumer Habits Change?

The pandemic significantly accelerated digital shopping habits across many categories.

A World Economic Forum article citing PwC research reported that more than half of global consumers increased their use of digital devices for shopping during this period. (World Economic Forum)

Ecommerce also remained important after the strictest lockdown periods ended. Econsultancy reported continued growth in online sales during 2021, demonstrating that some pandemic-era shopping behaviours were becoming established habits rather than temporary solutions. (Econsultancy)

For beer, this meant consumers became more comfortable ordering products they had previously preferred to choose in person.

Once customers had experienced the convenience of beer delivery in the UK, the idea of ordering a case of lager, Belgian beer or craft IPA online became much more normal.

Did Buying Beer Online Cause the Decline of British Pubs?

It would be too simplistic to say that online beer shopping caused the decline of British pubs.

Pubs had already been facing significant pressures before the pandemic, including changing consumer habits, operating costs and wider economic challenges.

COVID-19 then created an extraordinary situation in which pubs and restaurants were forced to close or operate under heavy restrictions for long periods.

The pandemic therefore accelerated both online beer buying and the difficulties facing hospitality, but the two trends should not be treated as a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship.

Some pubs also adapted by offering takeaway beer, local delivery and online ordering.

In many cases, the same digital tools helping specialist retailers and breweries also gave pubs another way to stay connected with customers.

Why Do People Still Buy Beer Online Today?

The strongest reason is probably choice.

A specialist online retailer can stock significantly more beer than the average supermarket shelf.

That makes online shopping particularly useful if you want something specific.

For example, you might be looking for a German Helles, a Belgian Trappist beer, an American IPA or a particular brewery that is difficult to find locally.

Beerhunter’s German beer collection is a good example. Instead of being limited to one or two familiar German brands, shoppers can explore a much wider range of traditional lagers, wheat beers and seasonal releases.

The same applies to more specialist categories such as American beers, where online availability can make imported releases significantly easier to find in the UK.

Is It Easier to Discover New Beer Online?

For many drinkers, yes.

A physical shop naturally has limited shelf space.

An online beer shop can organise products across many more categories and help customers move between styles, countries and breweries.

Someone might start looking for lager and end up discovering:

• Helles
• Kölsch
• Festbier
• Czech pilsner
• American craft lager
• alcohol-free lager

Similarly, someone searching for IPA might discover Belgian IPA, West Coast IPA, hazy IPA or alcohol-free IPA.

That makes online beer shopping particularly useful for people who enjoy trying something new rather than repeatedly buying the same brand.

Why Have Mixed Beer Cases Become Popular Online?

Mixed cases suit online beer shopping especially well because they solve one of the biggest barriers to trying unfamiliar beer: having to buy a large quantity of one product.

Instead, customers can try several different beers within one delivery.

That makes mixed cases useful for:

• discovering new breweries
• comparing beer styles
• trying beers from different countries
• parties
• gifts
• creating a tasting night at home

Beerhunter’s world beer mixed cases are designed around exactly that kind of discovery.

For someone relatively new to imported or craft beer, a mixed case can be a much easier starting point than trying to choose twelve individual beers.

What About Buying Craft Beer Online?

Craft beer was particularly well suited to the ecommerce shift.

Independent breweries often produce more seasonal, limited or frequently changing ranges than major lager brands.

Online retail gives those beers a much wider potential audience.

Someone hundreds of miles away from a brewery can now try its beers without travelling to the brewery taproom or hoping their local bottle shop stocks them.

That also makes buying craft beer online useful for enthusiasts searching for particular styles or releases.

The pandemic accelerated the infrastructure behind this market, but the benefit remains relevant today.

Can You Buy Draught-Style Beer Online?

Online beer shopping isn't limited to bottles and cans.

Home-friendly formats such as 5 litre mini kegs have become another way for customers to recreate some of the draught-beer experience at home.

Mini kegs are particularly useful for:

• parties
• BBQs
• football nights
• Oktoberfest celebrations
• sharing with friends

Beerhunter’s 5 litre mini keg collection includes beers designed to be chilled and poured at home, often without the need for a dedicated beer machine.

This gives online beer customers another option beyond conventional multipacks.

Is Buying Beer Online Good for Gifts?

Beer ecommerce has also grown because it works particularly well for gifting.

Instead of carrying a heavy case of beer to somebody yourself, you can have it delivered directly.

Online beer retailers can also offer formats that are naturally giftable, including:

• mixed beer cases
• beer-and-glass sets
• brewery gift sets
• personalised beer gifts
• mini kegs
• Christmas beer gifts

This has helped move online beer beyond simple replenishment and towards occasion-based shopping as well.

What Are the Main Advantages of Buying Beers Online?

For most customers, the benefits come down to five things:

More choice
Access beers that may not be stocked locally.

Convenience
Order from home and have beer delivered.

Discovery
Explore breweries, countries and styles more easily.

Mixed cases
Try several different beers without buying a full case of each.

Specialist products
Find imported beers, mini kegs, alcohol-free ranges and gift sets that may be difficult to find in supermarkets.

That combination helps explain why online beer shopping remained useful even after pubs, supermarkets and bottle shops fully reopened.

What Is the Future of Buying Beer Online?

The pandemic was a major catalyst, but the appeal of buying beer online now goes well beyond lockdown-era convenience.

Consumers have become comfortable shopping digitally, breweries have strengthened their direct-to-consumer operations and specialist retailers have made beer discovery much easier.

That does not mean online beer replaces the pub.

A pint served in a good pub offers a social experience that ecommerce simply cannot reproduce.

Instead, the two serve different purposes.

Pubs provide atmosphere, hospitality and draught beer.

Online retailers provide choice, convenience and access to beers from further afield.

For beer drinkers, having both options is arguably better than having to choose between them.

Conclusion: Why Buying Beers Online Is Here to Stay

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated the move towards online shopping, and beer was no exception.

Breweries developed online shops, consumers became more comfortable ordering beer for home delivery and specialist retailers expanded the range of products available online.

But what started partly as a necessity has developed into something much broader.

Today, buying beers online gives UK drinkers access to imported lager, craft beer, mixed cases, mini kegs and specialist releases that would once have been difficult to find outside particular pubs or bottle shops.

At Beerhunter, that means being able to explore beer by brewery, country, style or format and have it delivered directly to your door.

Whether you're looking for everyday favourites or something completely new, online beer shopping has made the world of beer considerably easier to explore.

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