Beer inflation eased slightly in August, but still remains above other bev-alc categories and the total industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report.
The CPI for all items increased +2.5% year-over-year (YoY), before seasonal adjustment, and +0.1% month-over-month (MoM). With seasonal adjustment, total CPI increased +0.2% YoY, “the same increase as in July,” the BLS reported.
The CPI for beer at home was above inflation for all items, increasing +3.6% YoY, before seasonal adjustment. However, the CPI for beer at home declined MoM (-0.3%).
Total bev-alc and bev-alc at home increased +1.9% YoY and +0.1% MoM, before seasonal adjustment. The CPI for both spirits and wine at home increased +0.8% YoY, before seasonally adjustment. MoM, spirits at home increased +0.3%, while wine at home increased +0.2%.
When seasonally adjusted, the August CPI for total bev-alc was flat MoM, following a +0.3% MoM increase in July, and +0.2% MoM increase in June. Bev-alc at home was also flat MoM, when seasonally adjusted, following a +0.2% MoM increase in both July and June.
Beer at home was flat MoM, when seasonally adjusted, after a +0.6% MoM increase in July and flat June. Spirits at home increased +0.5% MoM, after a -0.8% decline in July and +0.8% increase in June. Wine at home increased +0.2% MoM, after a -0.2% decline in July and -0.1% decline in June.