After enduring contraction the last few years, the overall beer market is on the uptick, says Dan Wandel, senior vice president of beverage alcohol client insights for Chicago-based SymphonyIRI Group. He adds that case sales for beer are up 3.2 percent and dollar sales are up 6.6 percent for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 7 in total U.S. multi-channel outlets covering supermarkets, drug stores, mass market retailers, gas and convenience stores, military commissaries and select club and dollar retail chains. Showcasing similar numbers, Andrea Riberi, senior vice president of the professional services group for New York-based Nielsen, states that year-to-date through Oct. 15, the overall beer category is up 2.1 percent in case sales and 5.4 percent in dollar sales.
Although the overall beer category faced its share of challenges in previous years, one segment that has flourished in the last few years has been the craft beer segment. According to SymphonyIRI data, craft beer case sales were up approximately 12.3 percent and dollar sales were up 16.2 percent during the 52 weeks ending Oct. 7. According to Nielsen data, craft cases have grown 13.3 percent and dollar sales grew 16.3 percent in the 52 weeks ending Oct. 15, Riberi reports.