Beer declines continued in the last four weeks, with even previous high-performing segments such as imports feeling late summer pains in recent scans from market research firm Circana (data ending August 11).
Total beer dollar sales declined -3.7% and volume -5.4% year-over-year (YoY) in Circana-tracked off-premise channels (total U.S. multi-outlet plus convenience) in the last four weeks, accelerating significantly from the prior four-week period (ending July 14), when dollar sales declined -0.8% and volume -2.5%. Year-to-date (YTD), beer dollar sales declined -0.9% and volume -2.9%.
Craft declines continued to outpace the total category, with dollar sales declining -3.8% and volume -5.4% YTD. Four-week trends also worsened in the latest period, with dollar sales declining -6.5% YoY (previous L4W dollar sales -4.8%) and volume -7.8% (previously -6.4%).
With craft’s continued declines, the segment was nearly passed by domestic super premiums in share of total beer dollars in the L4W. Craft lost -0.29 share points YoY, to 9.59% share, and domestic super premium gained +0.41 share points, to 9.57% share.
Craft was not the only segment to struggle in the L4W. Imports, which have consistently been one of three beer segments to post dollar sales gains in the past year, recorded a -1.2% YoY decline in dollar sales and -5.4% decline in volume in the L4W.
Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) remained in the black (dollar sales +1.1%, volume -0.5%), along with non-alcoholic (NA) beer (dollar sales +27.6%, volume +21.8%). All other segments were flat or negative.
Beer’s largest declines remain in the convenience channel, with dollar sales -4.7% and volume -6.9% YoY in the L4W, and dollar sales -1.5% and volume -4% YTD. Four-week declines accelerated significantly versus the previous four-week period, when total beer dollar sales declined -1.8% and volume -4.1% in the channel.
FMBs (dollar sales +1.4%, volume -0.4%) and NA beer (dollar sales +25.6%, volume +20.6%) were again the only segments in the black, with imports recording a -1.2% YoY decline in dollar sales and -2.4% decline in volume.
Craft continued to struggle with YoY comps in c-stores, after finding growth in the channel in 2023. The segment neared double-digit declines in the last four weeks, with dollar sales -7.6% and volume -9.6%. YTD, craft c-store dollar sales declined -2.7% and volume -4.6%.
In grocery, total beer dollar sales declined -3% YoY and volume -4.2% in the L4W (previous four-week dollar sales -0.3%, volume -1.7%). YTD, total beer dollar sales declined -0.9% and volume -2.4% in the channel.
Craft dollar sales declined -5.3% and volume -6.3% YoY in the L4W (previous four-week dollar sales -3.9%, volume -5.3%). YTD, craft dollar sales declined -3.7% and volume -5% in the channel.
Top 30 Craft Declines Accelerate
Twenty of the top 30 craft brands recorded YoY declines in Circana-tracked off-premise channels in the L4W. Of the 20, 13 recorded an acceleration in declines versus the previous four-week period:
- No. 1 Molson Coors-owned Blue Moon Belgian White (dollar sales -4.6%, volume -6.7%);
- No. 5 Molson Coors-owned Leinenkugel’s Shandy (dollar sales -14.4%, volume -16%);
- No. 6 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (dollar sales -5.5%, volume -8.5%);
- No. 10 Heineken-owned Lagunitas IPA (dollar sales -12.5%, volume -17.4%);
- No. 11 Boston Beer Company’s Samuel Adams Seasonal (dollar sales -0.1%, volume +0.5%);
- No. 12 Duvel Moortgat’s Firestone Walker 805 (dollar sales -6.2%, volume -9.5%);
- No. 13 Mahou-owned Founders All Day IPA (dollar sales -6.3%, volume -6.6%);
- No. 14 Kirin-owned Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (dollar sales -7%, volume -8.9%);
- No. 15 Kirin-owned New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force (dollar sales -29.9%, volume -31%);
- No. 17 Samuel Adams Boston Lager (dollar sales -14.1%, volume -16.3%);
- No. 19 Blue Moon Light (dollar sales -6%, volume -7.9%);
- No. 22 Lagunitas LIttle Sumpin’ Sumpin’ (dollar salse -12.4%, volume -13.8%);
- No. 27 Bell’s Seasonal (dollar sales -11.4%, volume -12.4%);
No. 11 Samuel Adams Seasonal and No. 19 Blue Moon Light were both in the black in the previous four-week period, with dollar sales +3.6% and +3.9%, respectively.
Other top 30 brands in decline include:
- No. 7 Gambrinus-owned Shiner Bock (dollar sales -7.2%, volume -7.9%);
- No. 9 Anheuser-Busch Inbev’s (A-B) Elysian Space Dust (dollar sales -6.9%, volume -7.8%);
- No. 21 Voodoo Ranger Hoppy Pack (dollar sales -23%, volume -23.9%);
- No. 23 Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze (dollar sales -22%, volume -22.9%);
- No. 24 New Belgium’s Fat Tire (dollar sales -23.5%, volume -24.4%);
- No. 26 Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra (dollar sales -18.4%, volume -18.9%);
- No. 30 A-B’s Goose Island IPA (dollar sales -10.5%, volume -8%).
At the other end of the performance spectrum, Monster Brewing-owned Cigar City Jai Alai IPA, the 18th largest craft brand by dollar sales, recorded YoY growth (dollar sales +3%, volume +4.1%), after recording declines in the previous four-week period (dollar sales -5.2%, volume -6.5%).
Of the seven other top 30 craft brands in the black in the L4W, five recorded a deceleration in growth versus the previous four-week period:
- No. 2 New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger imperial IPA (dollar sales +2%, volume +0.5%);
- No. 3 Voodoo Ranger Juice Force hazy imperial IPA (dollar sales +2.7%, volume +0.7%);
- No. 4 Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing (dollar sales +5.6%, volume +5.1%);
- No. 8 A-B’s Kona Big Wave (dollar sales +6.2%, volume +6.1%);
- No. 25 A-B’s Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA (dollar sales +14.5%, volume +11.4%).
No. 20 A-B’s Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug (dollar sales +18.5%, volume +15.2%) and No. 29 Georgetown Bodhizafa IPA (dollar sales +16.1%, volume +16.9%) increased YoY gains versus the previous four-week period.
New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger Tropic Force, which launched earlier this year and does not have YoY comps, passed Samuel Adams Boston Lager to rank No. 16 in dollar sales YTD, and claimed 1.21% share of total beer dollar sales in the L4W, up from 1.1% in the previous four-week period.