The upcoming first week of September brings about three major events for consumers this year: the Labor Day weekend, the kickoff of this year’s National Football League (NFL) season and the return of federal student loan interest.

The Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) for August shows “an opposite outcome to July 2023,” with at-risk inventory up and overall BPI down, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA).

The convenience channel is the strongest channel for beer, accounting for more than half of category dollar sales, according to NIQ data shared by 3 Tier Beverages.

Consumers are feeling less in the holiday spirit ahead of Labor Day, according to consumer insights firm Numerator. Numerator surveyed 518 consumers from August 2 to August 7.

Beer production and wholesaler supply levels have started to match up over the last 12-18 months, suggesting a divergence from the “out-of-whack” inventory trends that started in 2019, according to National Beer Wholesaler Association (NBWA) chief economist Lester Jones.

The last time Brewbound spoke to Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co., the Rhode-Island based craft brewery had just purchased a 6-acre plot of land from the city, its first step in a major expansion and renovation plan.

Catawba Brewing Company’s locations in Charlotte and Wilmington, North Carolina have been closed by Made By the Water, the portfolio company of family office Wiregrass Equity Partners, according to reports.

Craft Beer Cellar Belmont and Trinktisch European Food Hall are looking for new ownership. Co-founders Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker announced their intent to sell the Belmont, Massachusetts-based businesses in a letter to industry members and fans earlier this month (copied in full, below).

Craft brewery production volumes are down between -2% and -4% half way through 2023, according to the Brewers Association’s (BA) Midyear Survey.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for beer remained above 2022 levels in July, but is decelerating, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Domestic tax paid shipments for the first half of 2023 declined -5.9% year-over-year (YoY), to nearly 77.16 million barrels, according to estimates from the Beer Institute through June.

Tilray Brands is acquiring eight craft brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev in a blockbuster all cash deal announced today.

Industry members should “expect to see an increase in ‘change’” during fall shelf resets versus “what you have seen in the past,” Bump Williams, president and CEO of Bump Williams Consulting (BWC), wrote in the company’s “Monthly Update.”

The sales declines of Bud Light amid a conservative-led boycott led to double-digit declines in revenue, shipments and depletions in the U.S. during the second quarter for Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B).