Craft’s performance in the grocery channel continued to lag behind the overall category, as both dollar sales (-1.9%) and volume (-2.9%) declined in the four-week period ending March 24, according to market research firm Circana’s monthly report.
The total beer category outperformed the craft segment, with dollar sales increasing +0.5% year-over-year (YoY) and volume declining -1.2%.
Year-to-date (YTD) craft dollar sales declined -2.3% – equivalent to the loss of more than $12 million – and volume declined -3.3%. Again, craft’s performance trailed the total beer category (dollar sales flat YTD, volume -1.2%).
Brewbound previously reported on multi-outlet and c-store craft performances. Catch up on the report here.
Thirteen of the top 30 craft brands in grocery were in the green in the four-week period, with double-digit dollar sales increases from six brands:
- Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing (dollar sales +10.4%, volume +8.6%);
- Kirin-owned New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger Juice Force (dollar sales +101.5%, volume +112.3%);
- Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Kona Big Wave (dollar sales +55.3%, volume +75.5%);
- Molson Coors’ Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy (dollar sales +14.4%, volume +17.5%);
- A-B’s Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA (dollar sales +15.3%, volume +17.5%);
- And Georgetown Bodhizafa (dollar sales +13.7%, volume +13.5%).
Five top 30 brands recorded double-digit dollar sales and volume declines in the period: A-B’s Elysian Space Dust (dollar sales -15.3%, volume -25.2%); New Belgium Fat Tire (dollar sales -30.4%, volume -31%); Boston Beer Company’s Samuel Adams variety pack (dollar sales -30.1%, volume -30.5%); Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force (dollar sales -20%, volume -20.9%); and Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze (dollar sales -14.4%, volume -13.5%).
Two brands that didn’t pop in the overall top 30 list made it to the top 30 for grocery stores in the last four weeks: Sapporo-owned Stone Delicious IPA (dollar sales -3.9%, volume -12.6%) and the aforementioned Samuel Adams variety pack.
Notably, Stone Delicious IPA also increased its average case price in the four-week period by $4.09 YoY, to $45.26. The brand had the second largest price increase YoY, behind Elysian Space Dust, which is the second highest priced brand in the channel, increasing its average case price by +$5.61 YoY, to $48.01.
Five other brands recorded price increases of more than $1, and all five recorded volume declines in the period:
- Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, +$2.30, to $40.69 (dollar sales -0.1% YoY, volume -5.8%);
- Shiner Bock, +$2.23, to $36.04 (dollar sales -9.3%, volume -14.9%);
- Firestone Walker 805, +$2.07, to $39.05 (dollar sales -1.5%, volume -6.8%);
- Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA, +$2.13, to $39.31 (dollar sales -7.5%, volume -12.5%);
- Sierra Nevada Seasonal, +$2.91, $41.76 (dollar sales +0.5%, volume -6.5%).
Meanwhile, significant price declines were recorded by Voodoo Ranger Juice Force (-$2.32, to $43.66) and Kona Big Wave (-$4.24, to $32.56). As previously mentioned, the two brands had the largest dollar sales and volume gains in the four-week period.
Similar trends were displayed in the last 12 weeks, with Juice Force (dollar sales +142.4%, volume +158.7%) and Kona Big Wave (dollar sales +26.2%, volume +32.9%) both leading dollar sales gains in the period among the eight brands in the green, and also recording the largest YoY price declines in the period: -$2.91 and -$1.78, respectively.
Four brands recorded double-digit dollar sales declines in the 12-week period:
- Fat Tire (dollar sales -34.5%, volume -34.8%);
- Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Light Sky, recently rebranded as Blue Moon Light (dollar sales -12.6%, volume -13.2%);
- Samuel Adams variety pack (dollar sales -17.4%, volume -18.3%);
- Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze (dollar sales -19.4%, volume -19.5%).
Circana does not include non-alcoholic (NA) beer maker Athletic Brewing in its craft data set. However, the company is considered to be a craft brewery by the Brewers Association (BA). If Athletic brands were included, the Connecticut-based brewery would have three of its offerings in the top 30 craft list for grocery sales: Run Wild IPA, Free Wave hazy IPA and Upside Dawn golden ale.
All three brands appear in Circana’s list of the top 100 total beer brands in grocery YTD:
- No. 63 Run Wild (dollar sales +59.4% YTD, volume +65.2%);
- No. 90 Free Wave (dollar sales +102.7%, volume +107.6%);
- No. 95 Upside Dawn (dollar sales +64.6%, volume +70.2%).
When including Athletic brands in Circana’s top 30 craft list by grocery dollar sales YTD, Run Wild IPA ranks No. 15, above New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger hoppy variety packs, with nearly $5.7 million in dollar sales in the channel. Free Wave would rank No. 19 (more than $4.1 million in sales), followed right behind by Upside Dawn (nearly $3.9 million), both passing Blue Moon Light, which would move to No. 21.
With the change, Sweetwater 420, Goose Island IPA and Fiddlehead IPA would all get bounced from the top 30 list.
Athletic’s trends have continued in the last four weeks:
- Run Wild dollar sales +58.3% YoY, volume +60.8% (share +0.07 points, to 0.20% of beer dollars in grocery);
- Free Wave dollar sales +97.8%, volume +99.4% (share +0.07 points, to 0.14%);
- Upside Dawn dollar sales +68.2%, volume +71.5% (share +0.05 points, to 0.14%).
NA offerings have the largest percentage growth in dollar sales (+27.3%) and volume (+22.1%) YTD out of all beer segments in the grocery channel. The same can be said for four-week data in the channel, with NA dollar sales increasing +24.8% YoY and volume increasing +18.3%. The next largest percentage growth in the four-week period was recorded by flavored malt beverages (dollar sales +11.9%, volume +18.3%).
Four other NA beer brands make Circana’s list of the top 100 beer brands in grocery stores YTD, none of which are craft brands:
- No. 31 Heineken 0.0 (dollar sales +3.2% YTD, volume +4%);
- No. 47 A-B’s Budweiser Zero (dollar sales -1.1%, volume -0.6%);
- No. 94 Constellation Brands’ Corona Non-Alcoholic, launched in 2023 (dollar sales +2,054.7%, volume +2,034.6%);
- No. 97 A-B’s Busch NA (dollar sales -2%, volume -2.2%).