“Consuming Better” – Second Edition of A3’s Study on How Quebecers Approach Wine, Beer, and Spirits

Unveiling of L’Indice A3

Montreal, July 13, 2025 – A3, the wine, beer and spirits agencies, unveils for the second year its portrait of what influences Quebecers’ choices and expectations when it comes to choosing an alcoholic beverage. One of the key findings of the 2025 edition of L’Indice A3 is that Quebecers are consuming differently; they want to make more informed choices from among the diversity and range of products available, thanks in particular to the work of agencies. Beyond perceptions, the L’Indice A3 sets itself up as a benchmark for the industry to understand and better respond to consumer habits.

Human contact at the heart of decision-making

L’Indice A3 confirms the decisive role of recommendations and human interaction in decision-making. In fact, 50% of Quebecers surveyed get their product information from family or friends, and 30% from in-store advisors. Beyond recommendations, hands-on experience takes pride of place: tasting is a means of information for 22% of Quebecers surveyed (a new feature of the 2025 edition).

L’indice A3 also shows that women tend to trust their personal circles more, while younger individuals place greater trust in social media. This illustrates the importance of personalized advice, the relevance of point-of-sale recommendations and the adaptation of communication strategies.

“Consume better”: a conscious choice

Quebecers are rethinking their consumption, not to deprive themselves, but to make better choices. Quality, origin and health take precedence over quantity, with an emphasis on quality (82%) and origin (57%). Moreover, price remains an important criterion for 88% of respondents, a stable trend compared to the first edition.

For this second edition, A3 asked respondents about environmental and health factors: a third of Quebecers assiduously check the sugar content of their bottles of alcohol (35%), while almost half (49%) check the alcohol content for health reasons. For environmental reasons, a minority of Quebecers assiduously check whether the products they buy are organic (18%) or vin nature (20%).

“The second edition of L’Indice A3 allows us to track trends and demonstrates that consumer habits are in line with the trends observed by the SAQ: consumers are drinking more thoughtfully, looking for quality products. In Quebec, we are fortunate to benefit from the unique know-how of agencies that are in tune with global trends. They deal with producers everywhere to offer a diversity of products that meet the tastes of our consumers. Once they are aware of the role played by agencies, a majority of Quebecers (58%) recognize their contribution in providing access to a diversified offering on the shelves.”

Catherine Lessard, General Manager, A3

The 2025 edition of L’Indice A3 is available here

About A3

A3 brings together 85 wine, beer and spirits agencies, which together employ over 1,000 people here in Quebec, and account for over 90% of the products found in SAQ stores. They are experts at keeping abreast of global trends in order to offer diversified products for the Quebec population. With its proactive, transparent approach, A3 promotes and defends the interests of agencies.

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Source: A3

For more information, please contact Jessica Rousseau | jrousseau@tactconseil.ca | 438-396-8288