Bev-alc scans returned to typical 2025 patterns post-Labor Day, according to the latest weekly report from market research firm Circana and EVP of BevAl, Scott Scanlon.
Total bev-alc dollar sales in the latest week (data ending September 7, including Labor Day Monday) fell 7% below the previous week (data ending August 31), retrenching from the 7% week-over-week (WoW) growth recorded thanks to the Labor Day weekend boost.
Year-over-year (YoY) bev-alc dollar sales (-2.6%) and volume (-4.3%) remained in decline. Those losses were outpaced by beer (dollar sales -3.4%, volume -5%) and wine (dollar sales -5%, volume -6.2%). Both categories recorded slightly moderated declines compared to the previous week: beer dollar sales -4.4%, volume -6%; wine dollar sales -4.7%, volume -5.8%.
Spirits recorded accelerated growth, with dollar sales up 3.1% YoY (previous week +1.9%), and double-digit volume growth (+10.4%, previous week +8.7%).
“Upcoming, the data is likely to remain rangebound for [the] next several weeks and perhaps until Halloween when we may see [a] small spike in the data,” Scanlon wrote.
“Thanksgiving will provide a more robust data increase and reveal initial indications how the end of year holidays will likely perform,” he continued.
Within beer, domestic super premium (dollar sales +2.9%, volume +2.6%) outpaced hard cider growth (dollar sales +2.7%, volume +2.5%) after several weeks of the latter dominating growth trends, behind non-alcoholic (NA) beer (dollar sales +22.1%, volume +23%).
Anheuser-Buch InBev’s Michelob Ultra was the only top 10 beer brand family to record YoY dollar sales (+3.7%) and volume growth (+3%) in the latest week, expanding on trends from the previous week (dollar sales +2.7%, volume +1.8%). Michelob Ultra’s sibling brand, Busch, returned dollar sales to the black (+0.5%), but volume remained in the red (-1.4%) after a down Labor Day weekend (dollar sales -0.5%, volume -2.5%).
Beyond the top 10, the usual suspects maintained notable growth in the latest week:
- Constellation Brands’ Pacifico, dollar sales +15.6%, volume +12.3% (previous week dollar sales +15.7%, volume +11.9%);
- Mark Anthony Brands’ Cayman Jack, dollar sales +4.8%, volume +0.7% (previous week dollar sales +1.2%, volume -3.1%);
- Geloso Beverage Groups’ Clubtails, dollar sales +10.1%, volume +7.7% (previous week dollar sales +7.1%, volume +4.9%);
- Boston Beer Company’s Angry Orchard, dollar sales +9.6%, volume +10.2% (previous week dollar sales +12.1%, volume +11.8%);
- Constellation’s Victoria, dollar sales +20.6%, volume +24.6% (previous week dollar sales +24.6%, volume +22.8%);
- Athletic, dollar sales +16.7%, volume +18.2% (previous week dollar sales +16.9%, volume +19.1%).
Meanwhile, Molson Coors’ Simply Spiked recorded an acceleration in its double-digit declines, with dollar sales declining 37.1% and volume down 38.5% (previous week dollar sales -29.8%, volume -22.9%).
Mark Anthony Brands’ Mike’s Hard Lemonade also recorded double-digit losses: dollar sales -28.2%, volume -30.5%; previous week dollar sales -29.7%, volume -32.3%. Those figures do not include Mike’s Harder, the higher ABV extension of the brand, which recorded single-digit declines: dollar sales -3.2%, volume -5.7%; previous week dollar sales -3.5%, volume -5.6%.
A similar story is occurring with Boston Beer’s Twisted Tea, with dollar sales (-10.4%) and volume (-13.1%) declines slowing slightly in the latest week compared to the previous week (dollar sales -12%, volume -14.1%).
Those declines come as flavored malt beverages (FMBs) continue to segment-wide declines (dollar sales -6.6%, volume -8.8%). Over the last 52 weeks, FMB dollar sales are about flat (-0.3%), while volume has declined 2.4%.
Total ready-to-drink beverages (RTDs) – including beer-, wine- and spirits-based offerings – returned to dollar sales growth in the latest week (+4%) with volume about flat (-0.6%). The category had an uncharacteristically down week over the holiday, with nearly flat dollar sales (+0.8%) and negative volume trends (-3.9%).