Total beer, cider and FMB dollar sales in off-premise retailers for the week ending March 21 increased a whopping 42% compared to the same week a year ago, according to market research firm Nielsen.
Consider that all segments were up double digits, and nearly all up 30% or more compared to the same week in 2019. Those segments include budget (+30%), premium lights (+34%), FMBs minus seltzers (+32%), imports (+31%), and non-alcoholic beer (+58%). Dollar sales for total craft (including brands owned by large brewers) were up 40%, while craft as defined by the Brewers Association increased 44%.
Meanwhile, the hard seltzer trend has not slowed, with those offerings up 456% during the week.
The stock up trend was evident as large pack sizes continued to outpace smaller ones, with 24-packs and 30-packs up 90% and 87%, respectively, compared to 12-packs (+61%) and 6-packs (+16%).
Danelle Kosmal, Nielsen’s VP of beverage alcohol practice, shared thoughts on beverage alcohol’s big stock up, if the trends will continue, the spike in e-commerce sales and more during the above conversation with Brewbound editor Justin Kendall.
Look for additional videos on how the beer industry is adapting to the novel coronavirus on Brewbound.com, and click here to register for the first Brew Talks event of 2020 on Thursday, April 2, featuring two panel discussions on how to navigate the COVID-19 crisis, featuring leaders from the Brewers Association, National Beer Wholesalers Association and Beer Institute, as well as Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Denizens Brewing Company, Total Wine and the Winking Lizard Tavern and Taproom.