Women raising the bar

Driving progress in the alcohol industry

Promoting gender diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace is a business imperative. As such, Deloitte, in collaboration with Women of the Vine & Spirits, wanted to offer companies in the beverage alcohol industry an opportunity to engage in a holistic conversation around DEI.

Uncovering alcoholic beverage industry trends

The primary goal of this research effort is to help identify both leading practices and areas for improvement, particularly when thinking about women in the alcohol industry. Until now, companies have relied on very limited data since most studies have either included the beverage alcohol sector as part of a broader food and beverage/hospitality industry categorization or have focused solely on larger companies.

This study creates an industry-specific baseline, which previously did not exist, that establishes a standardized frame of reference to measure performance against DEI going forward, with an emphasis on trends and statistics revolving around women in the alcohol industry. We reached out to industry leaders representing different tiers of the beverage alcohol supply chain to gather their input on both the challenges they face and successful strategies they are implementing to make positive progress toward DEI goals. Then, we analyzed and organized the results to ensure clarity and comprehension.

The insights gathered from the interview process have been fused together with the results of a quantitative survey fielded in parallel to create an integrated body of research to further a discussion around building more gender diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces in the beverage alcohol industry.

What’s next for DEI in the alcohol industry

The results of our study suggest that the alcohol industry has made some progress against DEI objectives over recent years, but there is still significant room for improvement. Women in the alcohol industry surveyed believe significant room for improvement still exists for companies on DEI efforts, such as recruiting/retaining a diverse workforce and creating opportunities for career advancement. Only 10 percent of women that responded to our survey think there has been a significant positive change toward women in the last five years across the beverage alcohol industry.

Alcoholic beverage industry trends are always on the move, and when it comes to supporting efforts to prioritize DEI in the alcohol industry, pushing for progress is a priority. To help raise the bar, we’ve identified a few steps for industry leaders to consider, particularly when tackling DEI in the alcohol industry. Download our full study to learn more.