Craft beer dollar sales declined -1.2% year-over-year (YoY) in Circana-tracked off-premise channels (total U.S. multi-outlet + convenience) in the four-week period ending March 24, according to the market research firm’s monthly report.
The latest scans show some improvement since Circana’s previous report, when craft dollar sales declined -2.7% YoY. Volume trends also improved, declining -2.6% versus -4.4% in the four-week period ending February 25.
Year-to-date (YTD), craft dollar sales declined -1.6%, a loss of nearly $15.3 million versus 2023, to more than $944 million. Craft volume declined -3% YTD, to nearly 21.8 million cases.
The average price per case of craft beer in Circana-tracked channels YTD was $43.40, an increase of +$0.63. Over the last four weeks, the average case price increased by +$0.59, to $43.42.
Total beer dollar sales increased +0.9% YoY in the last four weeks, while volume declined -1.3%. Craft’s share of total beer dollars in the period declined -0.22 percentage points, to 10.02%, while the segment’s share of total beer volume declined -0.09 percentage points, to 7.02%.
Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Belgian White remained the No. 1 craft beer brand in the four-week period, despite dollar sales declining -4.4% and volume declining -5.7%. YTD dollar sales of Blue Moon declined -5.2% and volume -7%, with the brand losing 0.22 share points of total craft beer dollars in the period, to 5.65% share.
However, the brand regained some space between itself and No. 2 Kirin-owned New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA. In the previous Circana report, the gap between the two brands’ YTD dollar sales was around $8.9 million. Now that gap has widened to nearly $13.6 million.
Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA dollar sales increased +5.3% YoY and volume +3% in the four-week period, increasing its share of total craft beer dollars in the period to 4.21% (+0.26 share points). YTD dollar sales increased +4.4% and volume increased +2.3%, with the brand claiming 4.21% share of YTD craft dollars (+0.24 share points).
Nine other brands in the top 30 recorded dollar sales and volume growth in the four-week period, including two other New Belgium Brands: Voodoo Ranger Juice Force (dollar sales +67.9%, volume +68.7%) and Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force (dollar sales +4.9%, volume +4.1%). Sister brand Bell’s Brewery was also in the green with Two Hearted (dollar sales +6.2%, volume +4.6%).
Five additional New Belgium brands remain in the top 30, but four recorded declines, including Voodoo Ranger Hoppy variety pack (dollar sales -3%, volume -4.6%); Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze (dollar sales -20%, volume -20.4%); Fat Tire (dollar sales -30.6%, volume -30.4%); and Voodoo Ranger IPA (dollar sales -4.4%, volume -5.2%). Voodoo Ranger Tropic Force, which was launched earlier this year and does not have YoY comps, ranked No. 23.
Four top 30 brands outside of New Belgium’s portfolio recorded double-digit dollar sales gains in the four-week period:
- Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing (dollar sales +12.4%, volume +10.1%);
- Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Kona Big Wave golden ale (dollar sales +43.7%, volume +56%);
- A-B’s Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug double IPA (dollar sales +42.4%, volume +37.4%);
- Georgetown Bodhizafa IPA (dollar sales +14%, volume +13%).
Four top 30 brands outside of New Belgium’s portfolio also recorded double-digit dollar sales declines:
- A-B’s Elysian Space Dust (dollar sales -12.3%, volume -17.7%);
- Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Light Sky, recently rebranded as Blue Moon Light (dollar sales -17.6%, volume -19.2%);
- Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing imperial IPA (dollar sales -12.6%, volume -15.4%);
- And Goose Island IPA (dollar sales -14.7%, volume -15.9%).
New Belgium Retains Nearly 20% of C-Store Craft Dollars
Craft’s strong performance in the convenience channel continued in the latest report, with dollar sales increasing +1.2% YoY and volume nearly flat (-0.3%) in the four-week period. YTD craft dollar sales increased +0.9% – equivalent to an additional more than $3 million – and volume declined -0.6%.
Thirteen of the top 30 brands in the channel recorded dollar sales growth in the four-week period, with double-digit growth from seven:
- Voodoo Ranger Juice Force (dollar sales +46.8%, volume +41.8%);
- Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing (dollar sales +16.9%, volume +14.3%);
- Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug (dollar sales +38.1%, volume +31.7%);
- Kona Big Wave (dollar sales +25.4%, volume +27.2%);
- Georgetown Bodhizafa (dollar sales +15.7%, volume +13.9%);
- Tilray-owned 10 Barrel Pub Lager, which pops in c-stores, but not the overall top 30 (dollar sales +18.3%, volume +17.4%);
- And Fiddlehead IPA, another c-store-only top 30 member (dollar sales +19.3%, volume +18.7%).
Voodoo Ranger Tropic Force makes the top 30, but does not have comps. It is the only new brand to make the top 30 list.
Of the 16 remaining brands to record declines, four recorded double-digit dollar sales declines, including Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze (dollar sales -23.2%, volume -24.5%); A-B-owned Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA (dollar sales -11.1%, volume -12.7%); Goose Island IPA (dollar sales -26.8%, volume -28.3%); and Tilray-owned Sweetwater 420 (dollar sales -15.6%, volume -12.5%), another brand that only pops in the top 30 for c-stores.
Double-digit volume declines were also recorded by Elysian Space Dust (dollar sales -9.2%, volume -10.5%), Kona Big Wave (dollar sales -7.8%, volume -12.5%) and Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin (dollar sales -9%, volume -12.6%).
New Belgium retained ownership of the top two slots in c-stores in the last four weeks: Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA (dollar sales +8.8%, volume +6.9%) and Voodoo Ranger Juice Force (dollar sales +46.8%, volume +41.8%). Blue Moon, which Juice Force leapfrogged earlier this year, recorded a -7.3% decline in dollar sales and -7.6% decline in volume in the period. The brand also lost 0.51 points of share of total craft dollar sales in the channel, while the top two New Belgium brands gained a collective 2.33 points of share.
Dollar sales from New Belgium/Bell’s top 30 brands accounted for nearly 19.5% of total craft dollar sales in the channel YTD, increasing the company’s share by 4.18 percentage points versus the same period in 2023.
Stay tuned for further coverage, including craft performances in the grocery channel.