A majority of U.S. consumers support expanding direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping of beer, according to the fifth annual Direct-to-Consumer Beer Shipping Report, a Harris Poll survey commissioned by Sovos ShipCompliant and the Brewers Association (BA).
In the latest incarnation of the survey – conducted January 7-9, with 2,021 U.S. adult respondents – 83% of regular craft drinkers (those who drink craft beer at least once a month) and 64% of legal-drinking-age (LDA) U.S. consumers said state laws should be expanded to allow DTC shipments of beer to consumers beyond the nearly dozen states where it is now permissible.
Those numbers mark a slight decline from the 2024 survey, which found 86% of craft drinkers and 68% of LDA consumers favored DTC expansion.
Alex Koral, Sovos ShipCompliant regulatory general counsel, said in a press release that craft breweries and a majority of adult U.S. consumers continue to seek parity with the wine industry, which is permitted to ship products to 47 states and Washington, D.C.
“The takeaways remain clear: There is significant opportunity for a larger, well-regulated direct-to-consumer shipping channel that complements three-tier distribution, helps craft brewers and their business partners, and benefits consumers alike,” he said.
Adding DTC beer shipping in additional states could open a revenue stream for craft brewers facing numerous headwinds, among them slowing demand, shrinking shelf space at retail, waning distributor purchasing and potential increases in aluminum tariffs.
BA CEO Bart Watson added that DTC shipping for craft beer producers “is one opportunity to bridge that gap between consumer preferences and the realities of the distributed market.”
“The fact is, with nearly 10,000 craft brewers in the United States, and more consolidation of the wholesale and retail tiers, craft brewers should have the same opportunities as other producers to explore other market access opportunities,” he said. “For many small and independent brewers, DTC shipping would be an opportunity – a new way to create and maintain relationships with customers, in much the same way that DTC wine shipping created opportunity for small wineries decades ago.”
The survey backed up those sentiments, with 76% of regular craft drinkers responding that they would increase their purchases of craft beer if DTC shipping was available to them.
Expansion of DTC shipping also has the potential to drive trial of out-of-state breweries’ offerings, with four-in-five craft consumers (86%) saying they would be more likely to give an out-of-state brewery’s beer a shot. Additionally, 83% of regular craft drinkers said they’d try new beers from breweries that offer DTC shipping, with 80% more likely to purchase more frequently from those breweries.
The report tries to head off concerns that DTC shipments might cut into retail sales. The survey found that 95% of craft consumers said they would seek out brands that were shipped to them at retail stores, bars and restaurants.
Those consumers are also willing to open their wallets. Regular craft beer drinkers on average said they would spend around $106 each month, or $1,268 annually, to buy beer and have it shipped to their homes. Those figures are up from 2024 ($100 per month, $1,196 annually).
A majority of regular craft drinkers (69%) said they would be willing to spend $50 or more per month on DTC beer shipments and 69% said they would likely join a subscription beer club service. Under half (44%) said they would spend $100 or more a month to get craft beer shipped to them.
The survey also breaks down the demographics of potential DTC craft beer buyers as follows:
- 64% male;
- 36% female;
- 51% with an annual household income of $100,000 or more
- 32% between the ages of 21 to 34;
- 27% between the ages of 35 to 44;
- 22% between the ages of 45 to 54;
- 45% with a college degree;
- 29% with some college;
- 38% live in the South;
- 34% live in the West;
- 22% live in the Midwest;
- 16% live in the Northeast;
- 61% are homeowners;
- 38% renters;
- 50% white (non-Hispanic);
- 28% Hispanic;
- 13% Black.
Efforts to expand DTC shipping made little progress in 2024. The report notes change in one state, Alaska, which had allowed DTC shipping for two decades. Updates to the law included a cap on DTC shipments from breweries with annual production of fewer than 300,000 barrels, as well as requirements for state licensing, age verification at purchase time and payments of taxes.
Read the full report here.