The consumer price index (CPI) for beer both at home and away in July continued to outpace overall inflation and the CPI for the rest of the beverage-alcohol industry, according to the most recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The CPI for beer at home increased +4% year-over-year (YoY) unadjusted, double the rate of total bev-alc at home (+2%) and more than the CPI increase for all goods (+2.9%). This marks an end to a two-month streak in which the CPI for beer at home remained consistent at +3.1% YoY in May and June.
Increases in both spirits at home (+0.4%) and wine at home (+0.8%) trailed beer at home, bev-alc at home and total bev-alc (+1.9%).
Away from home, the CPI for beer increased +3.1%, outpacing overall bev-alc away from home (+2%), spirits away from home (+1.9%) and wine away from home (+1.8%).
Month-over-month (MoM) seasonally adjusted, increases in the CPI for beer at home (+0.6%) and beer away from home (+0.3%) outpaced nearly all other bev-alc metrics, including total bev-alc at home (+0.2%) and total bev-alc away from home (+0.1%). The CPI for spirits at home increased +0.4% MoM, and spirits away from home increased +0.1%.
The CPI for wine recorded MoM declines both at home (-0.2%) and away from home (-0.3%).
Year-to-date (YTD) through July 14, the average price of a case of beer increased +$0.48, to $29.84, at grocery stores, and +$0.76, to $32.24 at convenience stores, according to market research firm Circana.
At grocery stores, non-alcoholic (NA) beer led the way in price-per-case increases at +$1.71, to $37.58. Flavored malt beverages (FMB) recorded the smallest price increase, at +$0.31, bringing the average case price to $38.40.
NA also posted the steepest price-per-case increase in convenience stores at $2.06, to $37.49. Domestic super premiums in c-stores were the only segment to record a decline in the average price per case, dropping an average of -$0.03, to $33.20 per case, according to Circana.