During March, nine-liter spirits case sales in the control states fell 0.7% compared to same period sales last year. Despite 2013’s weak comp, sales during the last month of the quarter waned. Contributing factors may be related to: Easter and Passover being celebrated during March, 2013, as opposed to during April this year; five Fridays and four Mondays during last year’s March versus four Fridays and five Mondays this year. Rolling-twelve month volume growth of 1.2% is up from February’s 1.0%. Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Wyoming reported monthly growth rates exceeding their twelve month trends.
Control state spirits shelf dollars grew 1.2% during March while trending at 3.9% during the past twelve months. Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Wyoming reported growth rates that exceeded their twelve month trends.
Price/Mix for March was 1.9%, down 50 basis points from February’s 2.4%.
During March, Irish Whiskey, with 0.9% share of the control states spirits market, was the fastest growing category with 6.6% growth reported and a twelve month trend of 10.6%. Vodka, with 33% share, grew during the same periods at -0.7% and 1.0%. During March the Brandy/Cognac and Cocktails categories grew at rates exceeding their twelve-month trends.
March’s nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was -5.8%. Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Utah, Mississippi, Montgomery County Maryland, and Wyoming reported -7.7%, -9.2%, 2.3%, -1.9%, 2.5%, and 5.4%, respectively. March’s rolling-twelve month wine volume growth, -0.2%, slipped from February’s 0.8%.
Source: NABCA