There was good news and more bad news in the latest report from NIQ: During the four weeks ended March 14, Total Alcohol remained below year‑ago levels. Dollar sales reached $7.5 billion, down -2.7% from a year ealier, while case volume declined -3% to 143.6 million.

On a weekly basis, dollar sales increased to $1.95B in the latest week ended March 14 from $1.88 billion for the prior week, delivering a +3.5% week-over-week increase. NIQ noted the lift that may be attributed to early St. Patrick's Day-related purchasing.

Meanwhile, the only good piece of news from the wine and spirits sectors was that prepared cocktails continued to grow, with dollar sales up 4.5%. But case volume declined slightly, 0.4%, a sign not all is well – at least not yet. Meanwhile, spirits continued to drive industry underperformance, NIQ reqorted, with dollar sales down 6.1%, somewhat worse than the 5.7% dropin the week earlier period. Volume was down 4.6|%.

Wine nearly mirrored these losses, with dollar sales falling -5.0% and volume down -6.0%, similar declines to those seen in the prior period, NIQ said. Beer again emerged as the most resilient core category, as dollar sales dropped by -1.3% and volume fell -2.9%.

"Overall, category results highlight ongoing challenges for Spirits and Wine to outperform year‑ago trends, while Beer benefits from steadier demand. Prepared Cocktails continue to lead growth, supported by expanding drinking occasions and early signs of seasonal lift as Spring activity builds," NIQ noted.

Among major markets there was only one bright spot: Texas. Dollar sales in the Lone Star State were up 0.2%. New York reflected the steepest drop --6.9%, accelerating from the prior period. Volume trends showed comparable strain across top ten states. Texas (+0.4%) was the only state experiencing growth, while Massachusetts saw the sharpest decline at ‑60%.