Could craft off-premise scan data be beginning to turn the corner as the calendar heads toward the holidays?

In the four-week period ending November 3 (L4W), craft dollar sales declined -1.9% year-over-year (YoY) and volume (case sales) declined -3.4% in multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience stores (MULO+C), according to the most recent report from market research firm Circana. 

Both metrics have recorded steady improvements in the past two Circana reports. In the four-week period ending October 6, dollar sales declined -3.6% and volume declined -5.4%, which were marked improvements over the four-week periods ending September 9 (dollars -5%, volume -6.6%) and August 11 (dollars -6.5%, volume -7.8%). 

Craft still trails the overall beer category, which is up +2.1% in dollar sales and down -0.1% in volume in the L4W. 

Through the first 10 months of the year, seven of the top 30 craft brands recorded YoY gains in both dollar sales and volume. In the four-week period ending November 3, those numbers changed to eight brands with dollar sales increases and just four with volume increases. 

Within the top 30 craft brands, only one recorded accelerated growth from YTD to the L4W: Anheuser-Busch (A-B) InBev-owned Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug DDH IPA. YTD, its dollar sales have increased +29.8% and volume increased +25.6%, which accelerated to +30.5% and +26.9% in the L4W, respectively. Tropical Beer Hug is No. 20 in MULO+C, but No. 7 in convenience stores. It did not rank among the top 30 in grocery stores.

Three brands, all owned by Molson Coors, have reversed YTD declines in dollars and volume into dollar sales growth in the L4W:

• Blue Moon, -4.1% in dollars and -6.1% in dollars YTD, +0.1% in dollars and -1.7% in volume in the L4W;
• Blue Moon Light, -6.1% in dollars and -7.6% in volume YTD, +9.5% in dollars and +9.6% in volume in the L4W;
• Leinenkugel’s Shandy, -12.5% in dollars and -15.3% in volume YTD, +3.6% in dollars and -0.1% in volume in the L4W.

In the past year, Molson Coors has refreshed Blue Moon’s branding, rechristened Blue Moon Light Sky Citrus Wheat as the simpler Blue Moon Light and transformed Leinenkugel’s Shandy from a seasonal offering to a year-round beer.

Two brands have recorded a reversal of fortune in the opposite direction. Kirin-owned New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juice Force posted double-digit gains in dollars (+20.9%) and volume (+19.2%) in the first 10 months of the year, but those gains have dipped to -1.2% in dollars and -5% in volume in the L4W through November 3. Juice Force is the No. 3 craft brand in MULO+C, No. 2 in c-stores, and No. 7 in grocery stores.

Seattle-based Georgetown Brewing Bodhizafa IPA also posted strong growth YTD (+10.9% in dollars, +10.3% in volume) through November 3, but those metrics have dropped to -4.1% in dollars and -7.7% in volume in the L4W. The brand is No. 30 in MULO+C and grocery and No. 25 in c-stores within a fairly limited Pacific Northwest footprint.

Insiders can read more about the three brands that have maintained steady losses, six brands with decelerating declines and 10 brands with accelerating losses, as well as get a look at brand performance by channel.

New York City craft breweries are navigating stormy waters that are leading some to close permanently, as chronicled in a piece in the Bronx Times. 

Higher rent and labor costs – issues for small breweries nationwide – are more acute in New York City, where competition is also fierce, according to the Bronx Times.

Recent closures include Greenpoint Beer and Ale Co., which went out of business, Boston Beer-owned Coney Island’s taproom, and the Bronx-based production facilities of Torch and Crown, The Bronx Brewery and Gun Hill. 

Some breweries, including Brooklyn-based Grimm Artisanal Ales and Queens-based Rockaway Brewing, have found success through diversified offerings, such as a pizza restaurant, and  operational efficiency.

Anheuser-Busch InBev announced a pair of investments in its Golden Road and Elysian craft brands last week. However, the company is also shifting production and shutting down a related facility as part of the move.

A-B is investing $1.6 million in the Golden Road Anaheim Brewery & Pub, and $1.7 million in the Elysian Capitol Hill Brewery & Pub. The company said the moves will increase production capabilities and  improve consumers’ experience.

The company will move the majority of beer production from the Golden Road Atwater Village Brewery and Pub to Anaheim and other A-B breweries. Atwater Village will remain open to the public and brew small-batch beers. 

As for Elysian, A-B will close the 13-year-old Elysian Airport Way Brewery & Taproom in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood at the end of the year and shift production to Capitol Hill, with a focus on R&D, and other A-B facilities. 

The company did not share how many workers will be affected by the moves. Washington Beer Blog reported conflicting figures, from as many as 90 employees to “very few.” 

Nevertheless, the decision follows a successful unionization effort at Elysian last year. However, negotiations between the Teamsters Local 117 and A-B stalled out, and the union voted to authorize a strike last month. 

Teamsters 117 is now calling the closure retaliation for employees’ “union involvement.”

A piece of legislation that would permit on-premise bev-alc price promotions in Massachusetts has been excluded from a $4 billion economic bill working its way through the state Legislature, the Boston Globe reported. 

Happy hour has been banned in the Commonwealth since 1984 due to concerns about drunk driving. There have been several legislative efforts to reinstate it, but none have succeeded, due to varying levels of support, according to the Globe.

200 Episodes and a Whole Lotta Data

The Brewbound Podcast reached a 200-episode milestone last week. Weekend newsletter writer Sean McNulty joins the festivities, which include discussion of the latest New England craft deal, Molson Coors’ brewery closures, Zoe’s Beer Institute adventures, the Real Housewives, broken-legged turkeys and more (for real).

Also last week: Did you know that nearly 75% of high ABV dollar sales come from FMBs and craft? Bump Williams Consulting offered a look at the high ABV trend, with FMBs holding 43.5% share, compared to craft’s 31.2% share. 

Beer inflation in October continued to outpace total bev-alc, per the latest Consumer Price Index.

Leaders from BeerBoard and Levy Restaurants shared insights on capitalizing in the on-premise channel, including the breakdown of taps by segment during the Beer Institute’s annual membership meeting. Craft holds 63% of tap handles, compared to 20% for domestics and 15% for imports. More details here from Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata. 

Brewbound Insiders also have access to these exclusive data reports:

• Q4 2024 Beverage Category Review – 3Tier Beverages via NIQ
• Q4 2024 Supply Chain Update – Agrowgate

Insiders are also getting the latest A Round With Q&A, featuring Narragansett head brewer Lee Lord.

How is cannabis consumption affecting beer sales, if at all? Brewers Association chief economist and VP of strategy Bart Watson explored the “convoluted, murky and contradictory” topic. Plus, the BI clarified its position on intoxicating hemp beverages. 

Catch up on the rest of Brewbound’s coverage from last week: 

• Weathering The Storm: Hurricane Helene’s Impact On CPG Companies
• RTD Cocktails Roll Out in Pennsylvania, But Not Without Hurdles
• Heineken USA Appoints Alison Payne as CMO
• Molson Coors Q3 2024: Double-Digit Declines Across the Board; Green Shoots for Blue Moon

The Brewbound Live business conference is just 23 days away and along with it the annual Pitch Slam competition. Find out who is competing in this year’s Shark Tank-esque contest. 

Insiders can also catch up on all of the headlines and more in the Insider’s Week in Beer Newsletter. 

Look for highlights from Zoe’s trip to the Beer Marketer’s Insights fall conference, where leaders from the largest breweries will share updates on their businesses. 

Also this week, look for further coverage of the most recent Circana off-premise sales report and data from consumer insights firm about shoppers’ Thanksgiving plans.

Retailers, wholesalers and analysts have preached focus as a key to winning in 2025 and beyond. 

During the 2024 Brewbound Live business conference, leaders from Whole Foods Market, Deschutes Brewery and Bump Williams Consulting will define what a focused strategy looks like, why retailers are asking suppliers to sharpen their plans and portfolios, and how laser-focused lineups are generating sales results. 

Joining the conversation will be:

• Peter Skrbek, CEO, Deschutes Brewery;
• Mary Guiver, principal category merchant for beer, Whole Foods Market;
• Brian “BK” Krueger, VP of business development and portfolio strategies, Bump Williams Consulting. 

Brewbound Live takes place December 11 and 12 at the Marina del Rey Marriott in California. Tickets are available now. 

The conference will bring together leaders from all three tiers for business-focused conversations on driving the bev-alc industry forward, data presentations, networking and brand building. 

Check out the speaker roster.

In addition to the mainstage programming and networking parties, Brewbound Live will feature opportunities for one-to-one conversations with retail buyers from chains (Whole Foods and ExtraMile Convenience Stores) and distributors (Breakthru Beverage California, Reyes Beer Division and California Beverage Solution – Stone Distributing, Markstein Sales and Heimark Distributing). Registered attendees will be considered for meetings with buyers, as space is limited. Find out more details here.

Brewbound Live sponsors include John I. Haas, Abstrax Hops, Suntory, Yeti, NIQ, Crafted ERP, Strike Visuals, Fast Track Packaging, Foundry, BeatBox, Firestone Walker and JuneShine.

Boston’s most prolific athlete pitchman is getting his own beer. Boston Beer Company has released a limited-edition Samuel Adams (Derrick) White Ale, named for the Boston Celtics star who has appeared in several “Your Cousin From Boston” ads. 

The beer will be available on draft and in cans, featuring White’s mug, at the downtown Boston taproom and Boston brewery throughout the basketball season (or until they run out). White worked the taproom bar over the weekend.

A dollar from every pint of the beer will be donated to the Greater Boston Food Bank.