Bev-alc remained in decline in the latest week (data ending September 14), recording “predicted post-holiday results,” according to the most recent weekly report from market research firm Circana and EVP of BevAl Scott Scanlon.
Total bev-alc dollar sales declined 3.3% year-over-year (YoY) and 2% week-over-week (WoW). Bev-alc volume, measured in case sales, fell 4.6% YoY.
Beer declines outpaced total industry losses, with dollar sales declining 3.8% and volume down 5.2%. Over the last 12 weeks, beer dollar sales have declined 2.9% and volume is 4.4% below the same period in 2024.
Wine continued to lead declines, with dollar sales declining 6.2% and volume down 7% YoY. The latest figures mark an acceleration in losses compared to the category’s trends from the last 12 weeks (dollar sales -4.9%, volume -6%).
Spirits remained the only category to record dollar sales (+1.7%) and volume (+9.6%) growth, despite a deceleration in growth. In the last 12 weeks, spirits dollar sales increased 3.5% while volume grew 10.3%.
Beer-, wine- and spirits-based ready-to-drink (RTDs) offerings, including hard seltzers and flavored malt beverages (FMBs), recorded another week of consistent dollar sales growth (+2.6%) with YoY volume declines (-2.3%).
“The message from the data remains the same: wine – soft; beer – better than wine, softer than spirits; RTDs driving spirits growth,” Scanlon wrote. “The categories will likely remain within [the] relatively predicted channel for [the] next several weeks, at least until Halloween.
“The upcoming weeks will hopefully reveal a bit more positives and broadening of growing brands,” he added. “Would certainly like to predict an end of year growth surge, but [it’s] simply too early at this time and even the Halloween data isn’t a perfect indicator of year-end holiday performance, but it should reveal outperforming brands.”
Within beer, non-alcohol [NA] (dollar sales +22.8%, volume +23.9%), hard cider (dollar sales +3.2%, volume +3.1%) and domestic super premium (dollar sales +2.3%, volume +1.4%) remain the only segments to record growth YoY.
FMBs (dollar sales -6.4%, volume -9.1%) led declines, followed by domestic premium (dollar sales -6.3%, volume -7.3%); craft (dollar sales -5%, volume -6.6%); imports (dollar sales -4.2%, volume -5.4%); hard seltzer (dollar sales -3.4%, volume -6.1%); and domestic sub-premium (dollar sales -2.5%, volume -4%).
Among the top 50 beer brand families, Constellation Brands’ Pacifico recorded the largest dollar sales (+19.5%) and volume (+16.9%) growth, followed by its sibling brand Victoria (dollar sales +17.3%, volume +16.6%). Double-digit growth was also recorded by Boston Beer Company’s Angry Orchard (dollar sales +13.5%, volume +14.3%) and NA craft beer maker Athletic (dollar sales +15.5%, volume +17.3%).
Scanlon called out dollar sales growth from Mark Anthony Brands’ White Claw Hard Seltzer, which was up 1.2% YoY after several weeks of declines, “perhaps setting [a] end of year run.” Volume remained in the red (-1.8%).
Double-digit declines were recorded by:
- Boston Beer’s Twisted Tea (dollar sales -11.5%, volume -13.6%);
- Heineken (dollar sales -15.8%, volume -16.2%);
- Boston Beer’s Truly Hard Seltzer (dollar sales -14.4%, volume -15.7%);
- Heineken’s Dos Equis (dollar sales -10.5%, volume -9.8%);
- Mark Anthony’s Mike’s Hard Lemonade (dollar sales -28%, volume -30.2%);
- FIFCO USA’s Labatt (dollar sales -10.3%, volume -12.7%);
- FIFCO’s Seagram’s Escapes (dollar sales -22.1%, volume -22.4%);
- Molson Coors’ Simply Spiked (dollar sales -36.5%, volume -37.8%);
- And Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Goose Island (dollar sales -14%, volume -27.5%).
Goose Island’s notable declines follow several weeks of growth, including dollar sales +6.3% and volume +1.5% in the week ending September 7, and dollar sales +8.4% and volume +2.3% in the week ending August 31.