NABCA Releases Control States Nine-Liter Spirits Sales Results for February

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - March 28, 2018 - PRLog -- During February, nine-liter control states spirits case sales grew 1.7% over same period sales last year. Alabama (4.6%), Maine (6.4%), Mississippi (4.9%), Montana (5.8%), Oregon (3.5%), Pennsylvania (2.1%), West Virginia (1.7%), and Wyoming (7.5%) reported monthly growth rates for February that exceeded their twelve-month trends. The growth rates for Iowa (-4.9%), Idaho (3.4%), Montgomery County Maryland (-2.7%), Michigan (0.7%), North Carolina (2.7%), New Hampshire (-8.4%), Ohio (2.3%), Utah (2.6%), Virginia (1.9%), and Vermont (0.8%) and fell short of matching their twelve-month trends. Control state rolling twelve-month volume growth, 2.7%, is up from January's reported 2.5%. Spirits volumes have grown 1.9% year-to-date compared to 0.6% a year ago.

Control state spirits shelf dollars grew 4.1% during February while trending at 5.1% during the past twelve months. Alabama (7.4%), Idaho (5.9%), Montgomery County MD (3.8%), Maine (11.0%), Mississippi (8.7%), Montana (6.7%), Ohio (7.7%), Oregon (5.7%), West Virginia (7.0%), and Wyoming (9.4%) reported growth rates exceeding their twelve-month trends. Iowa (-1.0%), Michigan (2.8%), New Hampshire (-10.6%), North Carolina (4.5%), Pennsylvania (3.2%), Utah (4.5%), Virginia (4.1%), and Vermont (1.3%) grew shelf dollars at rates below their twelve-month trends. Control state rolling twelve-month shelf dollar growth, 5.1%, is up from January's 4.9%. Shelf dollars in the control states grew 4.3% year-to-date compared to 2.3% last year.

Price/Mix for February is 2.4%, up slightly from January's reported 2.3%.

Irish Whiskey, with 1% share of the nine-liter case control states spirits market, grew its February volumes fastest among all categories with reported growth of 19.1% and a twelve-month trend of 14.7%. Vodka, with 35% share, grew during the same periods at 1.5% and 2.2%, respectively. Cordials (0.9%), Irish Whiskey (19.1%), and Rum (0.4%) grew at rates exceeding their twelve month trends while Brandy/Cognac(-2.9%), Canadian Whiskey(-0.3%), Cocktails(1.0%), Domestic Whiskey (4.3%), Gin (-1.6%), Scotch(-0.3%), Tequila(6.3%) and Vodka (1.5%) grew at rates below theirs.

February's nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was –1.3%. Pennsylvania (reporting -1.4% nine-liter case growth for wines), New Hampshire (-4.1%), Utah (-1.3%), Mississippi (4.7%), Montgomery County Maryland (-1.9%), and Wyoming (1.2%) are the control states that are the sole wholesalers and retailers of wines and spirits within their geographical boundaries. Rolling twelve-month wine volume growth in these six control states was 1.4%, slipping from January's reported 1.6%.