DRINKS Survey Finds $40B Gap Between Discovery and Purchase of Alcohol

New report highlights disconnect between how consumers find and buy alcoholic beverages.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 12:03pm

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a collection of premium glass bottles, metallic tins, and wooden crates arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic seamless background, conceptually representing the disconnect between alcohol discovery and purchasing.A new survey highlights the growing gap between how consumers discover new alcoholic products and their ability to actually purchase those products.Los Angeles Today

A new survey from DRINKS, a leading alcohol e-commerce platform, has found a significant $40 billion gap between how consumers discover alcoholic beverages and how they are able to purchase them. The report highlights the growing disconnect between the digital discovery of alcohol products and the limited options for legal online sales and delivery.

Why it matters

This survey underscores the challenges facing the alcohol industry as consumer shopping habits continue to shift online. With billions in potential sales being left on the table, alcohol brands and retailers are under pressure to better align their digital and physical sales channels to meet evolving consumer expectations.

The details

The DRINKS survey found that while consumers are increasingly discovering new alcoholic products through digital channels like social media, only a small fraction are able to complete those purchases online. This 'discovery-to-purchase gap' represents an estimated $40 billion in lost sales annually for the alcohol industry.

  • The DRINKS survey was conducted in March 2026.

The players

DRINKS

A leading alcohol e-commerce platform that provides online sales and delivery services for alcoholic beverage brands and retailers.

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What they’re saying

“The pandemic has dramatically accelerated the shift to online alcohol discovery and shopping, but the industry has been slow to adapt its sales and distribution models to meet this new consumer demand.”

— Zac Brandenberg, CEO of DRINKS

What’s next

Industry experts expect the alcohol industry to invest heavily in improving their e-commerce capabilities and expanding legal online sales and delivery options in the coming years to capture this untapped market opportunity.

The takeaway

The DRINKS survey highlights the growing disconnect between how consumers discover and purchase alcoholic beverages, representing a significant untapped revenue opportunity for alcohol brands and retailers that can better align their digital and physical sales channels.