Post-Independence Day beverage-alcohol dollar sales declined 2.3% year-over-year (YoY) and 21% week-over-week (WoW) “as expected,” according to the latest weekly report from market research firm Circana, which included data for the week ending July 13.
Total bev-alc dollar sales reached $1.377 billion, of which the beer category accounted for $909.5 million. Beer posted YoY declines in dollar sales (-2.8%) and volume (-4.3%).
With the July Fourth hurdle in the rearview mirror, bev-alc data should be stable as the calendar marches to Labor Day, Circana EVP of bev-alc Scott Scanlon wrote.
“Upcoming, it has been an interesting year thus far,” he wrote. “We are entering a stretch where historically the data is relatively rangebound until Labor Day, about a month and a half away, so perhaps a welcomed calm within 2025.”
For another week, spirits was the only mega category to record YoY growth in both dollar sales (+2.5%, to $234.1 million) and volume (+7%). Wine’s dollar sales declined 4.6%, to $233.9 million, and volume declined 5.5%.
Ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails – which include products across beer, wine and spirits – increased dollar sales 1.6%, to $233.4 million, but volume declined 3.3%.
Brands that posted increases during the July Fourth period “were able to continue growth for another week,” Scanlon wrote.
“It will be interesting to see how well they retain over the remaining summer period, especially the hot RTD performers,” he continued.
In beer, the domestic super premium segment increased sales “a healthy” 3%, driven by Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Michelob Ultra (dollar sales +3.2%, to $78 million, volume +3.2%). No. 3 Michelob Ultra did not eclipse sibling brand Bud, as it did during the holiday week.
Within the top 10 beer brands, only Michelob Ultra and A-B’s Busch (dollars +3.1%, volume +1.7%) recorded growth in dollars and volume during the week.
No. 1 Constellation Brands’ Modelo held a commanding lead in absolute dollars ($107.7 million) over No. 2 A-B’s Bud ($89.9 million), but declined 2.1% in dollars and 4.2% in volume YoY.
Other bright spots in beer included:
- Constellation’s Pacifico (dollars +16.5%, volume +13.1%);
- Geloso’s ClubTails (dollars +14.6%, volume +11.5%);
- Constellation’s Victoria (dollars +42%, volume +40.3%);
- Heineken’s Lagunitas (dollars +19.5%, volume +34.7%);
- Athletic (dollars +13.1%, volume +13.8%);
- And A-B’s Goose Island (dollars +10.5%, volume +2.3%).
In the spirits category, Gallo’s High Noon Sun Sips ($12.7 million) outsold Tito’s Vodka ($12.5 million) for a second week. Of the major RTD brands, High Noon was the only to record a volume decline (-10.5%), while its dollars were flat (+0.2%).
Other top RTD brand performances during the period:
- Sazerac-owned BuzzBallz, dollars +64%, volume +72.6%;
- BeatBox, dollars +21.7%, volume +19.3%;
- A-B’s Cutwater Spirits, dollars +38.7%, volume +42.3%;
- A-B’s Nütrl, dollars +13.8%, volume +11.8%;
- Surfside, dollars +579.5%, volume +602.8%;
- Carbliss, dollars +58.5%, volume +63.7%;
- Long Drink, dollars +32.9%, volume +31%;
- And Boston Beer’s Sun Cruiser, dollars +766%, volume +822.3%.