Alc Sales Lose Weekly Momentum

During the four weeks ending Oct. 17, Total Alcohol continued under pressure, NIQ reports. Dollar sales reached $8.1B, down 2.4% from a year earlier, while case volume totaled 155.5 million, declining 4.4% vs YA. Weekly dollar sales totaled $2.0B, down 0.9% versus the week ending October 10th. The latest weekly pullback interrupts the modest improvement seen in the prior period, leaving the industry in search of sustained momentum as October progresses.

Prepared Cocktails hold onto growth

• Prepared Cocktails Beer, Wine, and Spirits (BWS) continued to outperform the broader industry, posting dollar sales growth of 1.8%, despite volume declining 2.2%. Although Prepared Cocktails remain the only major category posting dollar gains, recent volume softness indicates that momentum continues to moderate.

• Beer remained the largest source of industry declines, with dollar sales down 3.3% and volume falling 5%. Fall demand has yet to improve Beer’s trajectory, with persistent volume softness signaling that underlying demand remains challenged and price/mix continues to cushion dollar performance.

• Wine’s weekly uptick offers limited relief as four-week declines persist. In the four weeks ending Oct. 17, Wine dollar sales declined 3.3% versus last year, while volume fell 4.9%. Weaker consumer engagement remained the largest contributor to losses (47%), followed by reduced product availability (31%), while underperforming promotions accounted for a larger share of the decline than the previous week (22%, up from 16%).

Weekly dollar sales reached $368.6M, edging up +0.2% versus the prior week. The modest weekly increase offers some encouragement, though improving demand and promotional effectiveness remain key to a broader recovery.

Non-Alcoholic Wine accelerates as Sparkling’s dollar gains narrow During the four weeks ending Oct. 17, Still Wine underperformance remained, with dollar sales down 4% and volume declining 5.3%. Sparkling Wine maintained dollar growth of 1.1%, though volume slipped 0.3%.

NonAlcoholic Wine also maintained growth, with dollar sales increasing 19.2% and volume up 16.0%. Growth in these smaller segments continues to provide some support, but Still Wine’s persistent weakness limits overall category progress.

• Spirits continued outperforming traditional alcohol peers, with dollar sales declining 2.4% and volume down 2.3%. While performance remains under pressure, Spirit’s cocktail versatility may strengthen its perceived value as consumers become more selective with Alcohol purchases.

Performance across the leading Spirits categories (Vodka, Whiskey, and Tequila) remained uneven as the holiday season approaches. Whiskey’s losses deepened, with dollar sales down 4.7% and volume down 5.2%. Vodka also slipped further, declining 1.3% in dollars and 2.1% in volume. Tequila’s dollar gains eased to +0.7%, while volume remained strong at +5%.

Non-Alcoholic Spirits strengthened across both measures, with dollars rising 20.5% and volume increasing 20.9%. All other Spirits segments collectively fell 2.3% in dollars and 3% in volume, leaving growth concentrated in select areas.

• The latest results through mid-October reinforce the increasingly divergent Alcohol landscape. Prepared Cocktails (BWS) continue to stand apart as the industry's source of growth, Spirits holds as the most stable traditional category, while Beer and Wine face firm pressure as the developing Fall performance remains below expectations.

Ohio, Calif. strengthen position; declines spread across major markets

Regional trends continued to reflect nationwide industry softness, with all of the top ten state markets posting declines despite improving performance in select markets.

• Ohio and California led as strongest major state markets, with dollar sales declining 0.6% and 0.8%, respectively. California also recorded the most resilient volume trend at down 0.7%, while Ohio declined 3%. Both markets saw improved results compared to the previous week.

• New Jersey lost further momentum, with dollar sales declining 2%, and volume moderating from slight growth to a 1% decline. Michigan and Illinois showed signs of improvement, the value trend narrowed to 3.4% and 2.7%, respectively. Texas, however, faced mounting pressure as dollars fell 4.5% and volume declined 7.2%.

• State-level results continue to reflect uneven momentum across major markets, with opportunities for growth remaining scarce. Ohio and California strengthened their position at the top of the field, with both markets improving from the previous week. Michigan and Illinois also gained ground, signaling pockets of easing pressure beyond the leading markets. However, momentum weakened in New Jersey and Texas, and Massachusetts and Washington continued to post the deepest declines among major markets.

Channel declines persist as momentum is limited across most retail outlets

• Channel results mostly mirrored total US weakness. Club led declines at 3.9%, followed by Food 3.3%, Convenience 2.4%, and Liquor -2.1%, and Mass -1.3%. Meanwhile, All Others +2.3% captured gains.

• Volume trends offered a slightly different story. Convenience -5.4% led volume losses, followed by Food -4.7%, Mass -4.0%, Liquor -3.7%, and Club -2.4%. Similar to dollar sales performance, All Others (+3.5%) was the sole volume grower.