NABCA Releases Control States Nine-Liter Spirits Sales for January

Feb. 24, 2014 - PRLog -- During January, nine-liter spirits case sales in the control states rose 3.8% compared to sales during the same period last year. This is noteworthy growth considering January’s year ago (strong) comp. Rolling-twelve month volume growth of 0.8% slipped from December’s 1.1%. Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Montgomery County Maryland, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia reported monthly growth rates exceeding their twelve month trends.

Control state spirits shelf dollars grew 6.7% during January while trending at 3.6% during the past twelve months. Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Montgomery County Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia reported growth rates that exceeded their twelve month trends.

Price/Mix for January was 2.9%, an improvement over December’s 2.6%. The five Northwestern Control States—Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming—reported 3.7%.

During January, Cordials, with 14.1% share of the control states spirits market, was the fastest growing category with 10.0% growth reported and a twelve month trend of 5.5%. Vodka, with 33% share, grew during the same periods at 2.8% and 0.8%. During January the Brandy/Cognac, Canadian Whiskey, Cocktails, Cordials, Domestic Whiskey, Gin, Rum, Scotch, Tequila, and Vodka categories (all except Irish Whiskey) grew at rates exceeding their twelve-month trends.

NABCA began reporting category sales in this publication four and a half years ago. January’s results are the first in which Irish Whiskey has not been the fastest growing category. Since being reported, the Irish Whiskey category, a rather small one with 0.9% share of the spirits market in the control states, has gained approximately 30 basis points of share. Its 11% twelve month trend, which during the past twenty-four months has eroded by nearly 9%, continues to dominate all spirits categories.

January’s nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was 4.0%. Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Utah, Mississippi, Montgomery County Maryland, and Wyoming reported 5.2%, 1.9%, 5.1%, -0.7%, 6.4%, and 3.8%, respectively. January’s rolling-twelve month wine volume growth, 0.7%, was up slightly from December’s 0.6%.