An online assessment of pricing for ready-to-drink alcohol products: Implications for risk and policy solutions

Authors

Matthew E. Rossheim, College of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Kayla K. Tillett, College of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Viktor Vasilev, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Cassidy R. LoParco, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Theresa Agwuncha, College of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Vishaldeep K. Sekhon, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Edna P. Mendoza, College of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Olivia Townsend, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Maria T. Julian, CounterTools, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Ryan D. Treffers, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), Santa Cruz, California, USA.
Melvin D. Livingston, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Michael B. Siegel, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
David H. Jernigan, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Journal

Alcohol, clinical & experimental research

Volume

49

Issue

1

DOI

10.1111/acer.15491

Keywords

alcohol; marketing; policy; retail surveillance

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Alcohol pricing policies can reduce population-level alcohol consumption. To inform these policies, it is essential to understand the price per standard alcoholic drink of the least expensive brands. This study focused on prices of ready-to-drink products because of their accessibility, popularity among young people, and market expansion in recent years. METHODS: In 2023, we systematically identified 39 retail stores selling alcohol online in Fort Worth, Texas. For each product, we recorded information regarding brand name, alcohol-by-volume (abv), liquid volume, and price (n = 10,818). Ready-to-drink products encompassed beer, malt liquor, cider, premixed cocktails, and flavored alcoholic beverages (FAB) including hard beverages (seltzer, soda, tea, lemonade), excluding wine and distilled spirits. We limited analyses to brands sold by at least three stores and deduplicated products within stores. Our analytic sample size was 3924. RESULTS: The least expensive brands included the following: Four Loko, MXD Drinks Co., Steel Reserve (High Gravity Lager and Alloy Series), Hurricane High Gravity, Natural Ice, Natty Daddy, Clubtails, Sauza Agave Cocktails, Truly Extra, and Icehouse. The average abv among all products was 5.9%. Among the 20 least expensive brands, the average abv was 9.0%, and 70% were available in single-serve containers. CONCLUSIONS: The least expensive brands of ready-to-drink alcohol products were often high abv, single-serve containers of FAB, malt liquor, or beer. Retail price assessments can strengthen the case for policy solutions, such as targeted taxes and re-classification of products, to reduce the risks posed by low-priced alcohol. The current study identifies some brands these retail assessments should include.

APA Citation

Rossheim, Matthew E.; Tillett, Kayla K.; Vasilev, Viktor; LoParco, Cassidy R.; Agwuncha, Theresa; Sekhon, Vishaldeep K.; Mendoza, Edna P.; Townsend, Olivia; Julian, Maria T.; Treffers, Ryan D.; Livingston, Melvin D.; Siegel, Michael B.; and Jernigan, David H., "An online assessment of pricing for ready-to-drink alcohol products: Implications for risk and policy solutions" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 6473.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/6473

Department

Prevention and Community Health