July 2013 Control State results: sales up 4.8%

August 19, 2013

During July, nine-liter spirits case sales in the control states were up 4.8% compared to sales during the same period last year. Rolling-twelve month volumes grew at 1.8%, up slightly from June’s 1.6%. Alabama, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming reported monthly growth rates that exceeded their twelve month trends.
Control state spirits shelf dollars were up 8.0% during July while trending at 4.7% during the past twelve months. Alabama, Iowa, Montgomery County Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming reported growth rates exceeding their twelve month trends.
Price/Mix for July rose slightly to 3.2% from June’s 3.0%.
In addition to normal growth, July’s Control State spirits sales were affected by:
– The July, 2012, calendar has five Sundays compared to four this year. Retail outlets in six control jurisdictions—Alabama, Montana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Utah, West Virginia—are closed on Sundays.
– Utah, with 2% of the Control States’ spirits and dollars volumes, reported five weeks of sales this July against four weeks last year, artificially inflating sales and skewing Control States results. Utah had six more selling days–27% more-during this year’s July compared to last year’s. After normalizing nine-liter spirits case sales for Utah’s reporting anomaly, July’s nine-liter case growth is 4.3%, and rolling-twelve month volumes show an increase of 1.8%. Likewise, after normalizing shelf dollars, July’s control states shelf dollar growth rate is 7.4%, and its twelve-month trend is 4.7%.
– July’s normalized Price/Mix is 3.1%.
During July, Irish Whiskey, with 0.9% share of the control states spirits market, was the fastest growing category with 16.0% growth reported and a twelve month growth trend of 15.5%. Vodka, with 33% share, grew during the same periods at 4.3% and 2.4%. During July Brandy/Cognac, Canadian Whiskey, Cordials, Domestic Whiskey, Gin, Irish Whiskey, Rum, Scotch, Tequila, and Vodka grew at rates that exceeded their twelve-month trends.
July’s nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was 4.6%. Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Utah, Mississippi, Montgomery County Maryland, and Wyoming reported 1.6%, 3.3%, 32.4%, 5.3%, 5.2%, and 2.6%, respectively. July’s rolling-twelve month wine volume growth, 1.6%, is down from June’s 2.0%.

Source: NABCA