Getting carded when you purchase alcohol is nothing new. But now, you'll have to show your ID if you want to buy non-alcoholic drinks at one of the country's largest retailers.
Target is now carding customers who attempt to purchase non-alcoholic or zero-proof alcohol beverages, according to multiple reports.
The move follows a recent announcement about the store partnering with non-alcoholic retailer Sèchey on a collection of alcohol alternatives. Curated for the adult beverage aisle at Target, the collection includes drinks from Kin Euphorics, Ghia, De Soi, Mingle, Free AF and Edna's.
"With an increasing number of consumers looking for alternatives to alcohol, we're excited to partner with Sèchey to help give shoppers more choices when it comes to healthier ways to enjoy time with friends or unwind at the end of the day," Rick Gomez, executive vice president and chief food, essentials and beauty officer at Target, told WWD.
Although the beverages don't contain alcohol, a company spokesperson told Food & Wine the Sèchey collection will be located in the adult beverage aisle at nearly 700 Target locations nationwide because the "flavor profiles of non-alcohol products align more closely with full-alcohol items and are designed for experiences similar to, and also during, traditional full-alcohol occasions."
Because of that, cashiers will reportedly ask to see a shopper's ID if they want to purchase the beverages.
"Target faces the dilemma of distinguishing which of the non-alcoholic drinks on its shelves must be sold to 21+ and which can be sold to anyone. It's not an impossible problem, but there's a considerable degree of liability that follows even a single violation," Nicholas Bradley, a business attorney based in New York City, told Food & Wine. "From the perspective of a big retail chain with multiple locations and hundreds of employees in New York City alone, the safest move is to be over-inclusive and to require ID for all non-alcoholic beverages, even if that specific brand genuinely has no alcohol."
According to IWSR, the benchmark data source for the alcoholic beverage industry, the no- and low-alcohol market continues to expand in the U.S., growing by 25% in volume from 2019 to 2023. The sector is now worth $1.8 billion and is forecast to grow by 15% between now and 2027.
"Alcohol-free beverages and non-alcoholic beverages, two different categories classified by the FDA, are exploding in popularity and experiencing huge growth, albeit from a low base," Sean Ryan, head of the CPG sector at Kearney, told Retail Dive. "Health conscious, 'better for you' consumption and authentic experiences have been a distinguishing element of millennial and Gen Z culture for some time. I've heard alcohol referred to as 'boomer technology' by these younger generations — a powerful image that when combined with vastly improved product innovation turns Sober October into a four season experience – and the stuff tastes better and better with each innovation cycle."