Control states spirits case sales fell 3% in January from a year earlier, National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association said.
Montgomery County Maryland (11.4%) and Montana (19.6%) reported monthly growth rates for January exceeding their 12-month trends. But the growth rates for Alabama (-5.6%), Iowa (-7.8%), Idaho (-6.7%), Maine (1.6%), Michigan (-3.4%), Mississippi (-3.6%), North Carolina (-3.0%), New Hampshire (-10.8%), Ohio (-4.4%), Oregon (-5.5%), Pennsylvania (2.9%), Utah (1.4%), Virginia (-3.7%), Vermont (0.9%), West Virginia (-8.6%), and Wyoming (-6.5%) fell short of their 12-month trends. Control state rolling-12-month-volume growth, 4.1%, is down from December’s reported 4.6%. Spirits’ volumes are down 3.4% year-to-date compared to a 4% gain a year ago.
Control state spirits shelf dollars fell 0.3% during January while trending at 9.0% during the past 12 months. Montgomery County Maryland (13.6%) and Montana (19.2%) reported monthly growth rates for January exceeding their twelve-month trends. Alabama (-3.2%), Iowa (-3.7%), Idaho (-2.7%), Maine (2.7%), Michigan (-3.1%), Mississippi (1.6%), North Carolina (1.8%), New Hampshire (-13.2%), Ohio (-3.0%), Oregon (-0.1%), Pennsylvania (6.5%), Utah (5.2%), Virginia (0.3%), Vermont (5.4%), West Virginia (-5.6%), and Wyoming (-2.9%) grew shelf dollars at rates below their twelve-month trends. Shelf dollars in the control states are down 0.3% year-to-date compared to being up 10.7% last January.
These results are somewhat distorted as 2021 was coming off the severely pandemic affected 2020.
Price/Mix for January is 2.7%, down from December’s reported 4.7%.
January’s control states growth rate continued to be affected by pandemic related phenomena.
Cocktails, with 4% share of the nine-liter case control states spirits market, was January’s fastest growing category with 18.1% reported and a twelve-month trend of 36.7%. Tequila, with 9% share, grew at 8.4% during January and 22.9% during the past twelve months. Vodka, with 32% share, grew during the same periods at -4% and 0.6%, respectively.
Growth rates reported for all categories lagged their twelve-month trends: Brandy/Cognac (-17.6% during January, -6.4% twelve-month trend), Canadian Whiskey (-3.2%, -0.1%), Cocktails (18.1%, 36.7%), Cordials (-0.5%, 11.2%), Domestic Whiskey (-3.0%, 3.4%), Gin (-8.7%, -0.3%), Irish Whiskey (4.4%, 13.1%), Rum (-4.2%, 0.6%), Scotch (-4.1%, 0.8%), Tequila (8.4%, 22.9%), and Vodka (-4.0%, 0.6%).
January’s nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was -9.5%. Pennsylvania (reporting -9.9% nine-liter-case growth for wines), New Hampshire (-10.3%), Mississippi (-9.8%), Utah (-4.6%), Montgomery County Maryland (-2.2%), and Wyoming (-19.2%) 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 is –4.1%, down from December’s reported -3.1%.