Off-Premise

In this latest installment of 3 Up, 3 Down, 3 Tier consultant Danelle Kosmal shares a trio of insights on industry growth and three underperforming areas during the summer selling season, with NIQ off-premise data through August 10, 2024.

Circle K owner Alimentation Couche-Tard has offered a “friendly proposal” to acquire the Japanese operator of 7-Eleven in a move that could mark major consolidation of the global convenience channel. If successful, the combined entity would become one of the largest retail businesses in the world.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Michelob Ultra passed sibling brand Bud Light as the second largest brand by dollar sales year-to-date (YTD) in Circana-tracked off-premise channels (total U.S. multi-outlet plus convenience), according to the market research firm’s latest monthly report (ending July 14).

Beer is at the top of most Independence Day revelers’ shopping lists, according to market research firm Numerator.

Two months after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) completed a review of Kroger and Albertsons’ proposed supermarket mega-merger and filed a lawsuit to block the deal, the grocery chains have added more store locations and assets to an updated version of their definitive divestiture agreement with C&S Wholesalers.

Constellation Brands is expected to be the biggest winner in shelf resets this spring, according to the most recent Beverage Bytes beer distributor survey by Goldman Sachs.

Constellation Brands overtook Molson Coors as the No. 2 beer category vendor by dollar sales in multi-outlet grocery and convenience stores (MULO+C) in 2023, according to market research firm Circana, which shared its year-end report. Constellation grew off-premise dollars by $1.092 billion to $8.446 billion through December 31.

Volume improved slightly on a sequential basis across wine, spirits and flavored malt beverage categories, while decelerating across hard seltzer in the two-week period ending September 9, according to an analysis of NielsenIQ data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

Beer trends continue to improve in the off-premise, according to Circana in the market research firm’s monthly beer report.

Craft beer off-premise dollar sales in the last four weeks (ending July 16) increased +1.2% versus the same period in 2022, according to market research firm Circana in its monthly beer report.

Total bev-alc sales in off-premise channels (multi-outlet plus convenience) declined -4% week-over-week (WoW) in the week ending July 9, which included the July 4 holiday, according to Circana analyst Scott Scanlon.

Craft trends in off-premise channels “remain underwhelming,” but there are “signs of improvement” in Q2, according to Bump Williams Consulting’s (BWC) quarterly craft report.

Off-premise dollar sales of craft beer declined -4%, to nearly $620.8 million, while case sales dipped -8.6% year-to-date through February 26 in multi-outlet and convenience stores (MULC) tracked by Circana, the market research firm formerly known as IRI.

Data and economy experts from 3 Tier Beverages, NielsenIQ’s CGA and the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) gave attendees insights into the state of the bev-alc industry and cider’s potential growth opportunities during the 13th annual CiderCon, held last week in Chicago.