Control States nine-liter spirits case sales grew 3% from a year earlier, National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association reported.
Alabama (5.4%), Iowa (4.5%), Idaho (0.7%), Montgomery County Maryland (20.6%), Michigan (2.4%), Montana (14.8%), North Carolina (4.7%), Oregon (1.5%), Utah (10.6%), Virginia (3.2%), Vermont (7.7%), and Wyoming (3.7%) reported monthly growth rates for February exceeding their 12-month trends. The growth rates for Maine (0.4%), Mississippi (-1.2%), New Hampshire (-3.7%), Ohio (0.3%), Pennsylvania (4.3%), and West Virginia (-10.1%) fell short of their 12-month trends.
Control state rolling-twelve-month-volume growth, 3.8%, is down from January’s reported 4.1%. Spirits’ volumes growth is flat year-to-date compared to 5.0% a year ago.
Control state spirits shelf dollars are up 6.9% during February while trending at 8.6% during the past twelve months. Iowa (9.4%), Idaho (6.7%), Montgomery County Maryland (27.2%), Michigan (8.0%), Mississippi (10.4%), Montana (22.9%), Oregon (7.1%), Utah (12.6%), Virginia (7.7%), Vermont (12.4%), and Wyoming (9.2%) reported monthly growth rates for February exceeding their 12-month trends. Alabama (7.4%), Maine (7.1%), North Carolina (11%), New Hampshire (-5.4%), Ohio (2.5%), Pennsylvania (4.5%), and West Virginia (-5.8%) grew shelf dollars at rates below their twelve-month trends. Shelf dollars in the control states are up 3.5% year-to-date compared to being up 11.9% last February.
Price/Mix for February is 3.9%, improving upon January’s reported 2.7%.
Cocktails, with 4% share of the nine-liter case control states spirits market, was February’s fastest growing category with 40.6% reported and a twelve-month trend of 36.6%. Tequila, with 9% share, grew at 22.9% during February and 23.2% during the past twelve months. Vodka, with 32% share, grew during the same periods at 0.8% and 0.7%, respectively. Canadian Whiskey(1.1% during February, -0.7% twelve-month trend), Cocktails(40.6%, 36.6%), Irish Whiskey(16.7%, 14.1%), and Vodka(0.8%, 0.7%) grew at rates above their twelve-month trends, while Brandy/Cognac(-18.6%, -8.9%), Cordials(8.2%, 11.2%), Domestic Whiskey(2.6%, 3.0%), Gin(-2.0%, -0.4%), Rum(-0.8%, 0.5%), Scotch(-1.5%, 0.5%), and Tequila(22.9%, 23.2%) grew at rates below theirs.
February’s nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was -6.2%. Pennsylvania (reporting -7.2% nine-liter-case growth for wines), New Hampshire (-6.9%), Mississippi (-3.0%), Utah (-0.5%), Montgomery County Maryland (-0.9%), and Wyoming (-14.6%) 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 –4.6%, down from January’s reported -4.1%.