ALEXANDRIA, VA (April 21, 2017) — During March, nine-liter spirits case sales in the control states grew 4.4% compared to same period sales last year, an above average growth rate in spite of a strong comp. Rolling-twelve month volume growth of 2.3% slipped from February’s 2.6%. Alabama (4.4%), Idaho (7.6%), Montgomery County Maryland (0.9%), Maine (6.0%), Michigan (3.8%), Mississippi (0.3%), North Carolina (6.8%), New Hampshire (6.0%), Ohio (5.3%), Oregon (5.8%), Pennsylvania (1.8%), Utah (4.7%), Virginia (7.0%), Vermont (8.6%), West Virginia (0.6%), and Wyoming (1.8%) reported monthly growth rates for March that exceeded their twelve month trends. Spirits volumes in the control states have grown 2.0% year-to-date compared to 4.0% a year ago.
Control state spirits shelf dollars were up 6.6% during March while trending at 4.3% during the past twelve months. Alabama (7.1%), Idaho (10.1%), Maine (7.5%), Michigan (5.6%), Montana (3.8%), North Carolina (10.5%), New Hampshire (9.7%), Ohio (8.6%), Oregon (7.4%), Utah (10.3%), Virginia (9.0%), Vermont (12.9%), West Virginia (2.9%), and Wyoming (0.6%) reported growth rates exceeding their twelve month trends. Shelf dollars in the control states have grown 3.8% year-to-date compared to 6.7% last year.
Price/Mix for March is 2.2%, an improvement on February’s 1.5%.
Irish Whiskey, with 1% share of the control states spirits market, was March’s fastest growing category with 19.5% reported and a twelve month trend of 14.7%. Vodka, with 35% share, grew during the same periods at 3.1% and 2.0%. Brandy/Cognac (9.5%), Canadian Whiskey (4.7%), Cocktails (8.4%), Cordials (2.1%), Domestic Whiskey (6.0%), Irish Whiskey (19.5%), Rum (2.4%), Scotch (-0.6%), Tequila (11.4%), and Vodka (3.1%) grew at rates exceeding their twelve month trends, while Gin (-1.2%) fell short.
March’s nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was -0.7%. Pennsylvania (reporting flat nine-liter case growth for wines), New Hampshire (-7.1%), Utah (4.1%), Mississippi (1.8%), Montgomery County Maryland (0.0%), and Wyoming (-5.0%) 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 was 1.4%, down from February’s reported 1.9%.
| 9L Cases CM % Chg | Shelf $ CM % Chg | Price/Mix | Control States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Control States | 4.4 | 6.6 | 2.2% | |
| Central Region | 3.4 | 5.0 | 1.6% | IA, MD, MI, OH, PA, WV |
| NE Region | 6.3 | 9.4 | 3.1% | ME, NH, VT |
| NW Region | 4.9 | 7.5 | 2.6% | ID, MT, OR, UT, WY |
| Southern Region | 5.4 | 8.4 | 3.0% | AL, MS, NC, VA |
For more information about the NABCA, visit www.nabca.org.
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ABOUT NABCA:
Established in 1938, NABCA is the national association representing the Control State Systems - those jurisdictions that directly control the distribution and sale of beverage alcohol within their borders. Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, NABCA’s mission is to support member jurisdictions in their efforts to protect public health and safety and assure responsible and efficient systems for beverage alcohol distribution and sales. For more information about the NABCA, visit www.nabca.org.