NABCA Releases Control States Nine-Liter Spirits Sales for June

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - July 20, 2016 - PRLog -- During June, nine-liter spirits case sales in the control states grew at a robust 10.0% rate, which was influenced by a calendar anomaly. Rolling-twelve month volume growth of 3.3% was an improvement over May's 2.8%. Alabama, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Vermont reported monthly nine-liter case growth rates exceeding their 12-month trends. Spirits volumes in the control states have grown 3.8% year-to-date compared to 2.5% growth during the same period last year.

Control state spirits shelf dollars growth was up 12.4% during June while trending at 5.8% during the past twelve months. Alabama, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Vermont reported monthly growth rates that exceeded their 12-month trends. Spirits shelf dollars have grown 6.2% year-to-date versus 5.1% as reported last June.

Price/Mix for June is 2.4%, improving upon May's 1.9%.

June's Control State spirits growth rate was effected by the Control States' reporting calendars:

    - Michigan, with more than 15% of Control States' spirits nine-liter case volumes and dollars,

      reported five weeks of sales this year versus four weeks of sales during June, 2015,

      artificially inflating sales and skewing Control States results. Michigan had seven more

      selling days during this year's June than during last year's.

- Overall, June, 2016, had nine more selling days, 1.9% more, than last year's June.

-   After equivalizing nine-liter spirits case sales with respect to selling-day variations,

June's volumetric growth is 6.0%, and rolling-twelve-month volume is up 2.8%. Likewise,

after equivalizing shelf dollars, June's control states shelf dollar growth rate is 8.0%

with a twelve-month trend of 5.2%.

-   April's equivalized Price/Mix is 2.0%.

Irish Whiskey, with 1% share of the control states spirits market, was June's fastest growing category with 24.4% reported and a twelve month trend of 16.5%. Vodka, with 35% share, grew during the same periods at 11.1% and 3.1%. All Categories, namely Brandy/Cognac (18.5%), Canadian Whiskey (9.0%), Cocktails (14.3%), Cordials (5.9%), Domestic Whiskey (7.9%), Gin (6.5%), Irish Whiskey (24.4%), Rum (8.9%), Scotch (2.7%), Tequila (13.6%), and Vodka (11.1%) grew at June rates that exceeded their twelve-month trends.

June's nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was 3.6%. Pennsylvania (reporting -1.3% nine-liter case growth for wines), New Hampshire (12.2%), Utah (11.3%), Mississippi (10.8%), Montgomery County Maryland (2.6%), and Wyoming (-3.1%) are the control states that are the sole wholesalers of wines and spirits within their geographical boundaries. Rolling-twelve month wine volume growth in these six control states was 1.9%, flat with May's reported 1.9%.