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Stay informed as breweries expand their presence and read the latest beer industry news relating to distribution, wholesale, and direct store delivery (DSD). From reporting on changes in the distribution of products, to diving into the current state of play between brewers and distributors, the latest industry news and analysis provide context and best practices within a complex beer distribution network.
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Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week, putting many suppliers who have gone months without payment in the back of the line to collect.
The first major piece of RNDC’s territory fire sale is now complete. Reyes’ mega deal for 11 RNDC markets closed at the end of business on Friday, adding 38 million cases to its more than 360-million-case business.
As Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) sells off nearly all of its territories, what does that mean for the state of distribution?
Sparkling hard tea and canned cocktail company Loverboy has filed a civil suit against Night Shift Distributing (NSD), citing fraud and breach of contract, in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on May 7.
Under SB 623, which was referred to the Senate law and justice committee on May 3, breweries and wholesalers would have to revisit their distribution contracts every five years. If the contract cannot be renegotiated after five years, the parties must enter mediation with a mutually agreed upon mediator or, failing that, a mediator appointed by “a court of competent jurisdiction.”
Lone River Ranch Water announced the expansion of their distribution in 21 states this summer.
The Yuengling Company LLC, the joint venture formed last year between D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. (DGY) and Molson Coors Beverage Company, announced it will enter the Texas market this fall through Molson Coors-aligned wholesalers.
Matagrano, Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. alleging the Chico-headquartered craft brewery breached the companies’ contract when it terminated its relationship with the South San Francisco-based wholesaler on April 2. In a lawsuit filed in Superior Court of the state of California on April 23, 20 years to the day after Sierra Nevada signed on with Matagrano for distribution, the wholesaler alleged that “as a result of defendant’s breach of the distributorship agreement, Matagrano has been damaged in an amount not yet ascertained, but which exceeds $8 million.”
The loss of higher-margin on-premise consumption cost the beer industry more than $20 billion in 2020, National Beer Wholesalers Association chief economist Lester Jones reported yesterday during a webinar. “Volumes went up a little bit, maybe 0.5-1% up, but spending shifted dramatically,” Jones said. “
Canadian cannabis firm Canopy Growth announced today a partnership with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits to distribute its portfolio of CBD-infused beverages in the U.S.
Even as suppliers rush to produce hard seltzers, ready-to-drink canned cocktails and other so-called “fourth category” offerings, traditional beer remains a priority for Whole Foods Markets, according to Mary Guiver, the natural food chain’s global senior category merchant for beer and spirits.
Atlantic Beverage Distributors’ fight to keep Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers from terminating their wholesaler relationship hit a roadblock this week when a judge denied the distributor’s motion for a preliminary injunction against a pending arbitration hearing.
Sierra Nevada has announced it will reopen its breweries in Chico, California, and Mills River, North Carolina, to the public in May after what will be a 14-month hiatus from on-site service, according to a report in the Chico Enterprise-Record. Philadelphia-headquartered, on-demand delivery platform goPuff announced the completion of a $1.15 billion fundraising round earlier this week.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced most Americans to stay home except for essential errands last spring, on-demand alcohol delivery e-commerce platform Drizly’s sales skyrocketed. “We saw years’ worth of growth — five years’ worth of growth — in just a three-month timeframe,” Drizly chief operating officer Cathy Lewenberg said.
On the heels of the NCAA tournament’s opening week, Buffalo Wild Wings beverage product and program innovation manager Jason Murphy joins a special 60-minute “Retail Pulse” edition of Brewbound Frontlines to discuss the chicken wing chain’s 2021 mandate program, the importance of local beer to the sports bar’s menus and the increasing presence of hard seltzers and beyond beer offerings in the company’s stores.
Some Kentucky craft brewers will soon be able to distribute their own products and terminate wholesaler contracts more easily after Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 15 into law on March 18. The new law will allow breweries producing fewer than 50,000 barrels of beer annually to self-distribute up to 2,500 barrels per year.
Independent San Diego wholesaler Scout Distribution will add statewide distribution in Arizona, starting April 5. The company will start operations from a warehouse in Phoenix, with plans to add a second in Tucson in the next 12 to 18 months.
