Although craft beer case and dollar sales came in at a distant third to domestics and imports during the 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013, in Information Resources Inc. (IRI)-measured channels, the burgeoning segment is making strides to garner more of that market share. “The craft category is probably still in somewhat of an infancy stage as far as development,” says Jeff Nowicki, chief strategy officer for Bump Williams Consulting Co., Stratford, Conn. “[It’s] well developed in grocery, well developed in the liquor channel, but in convenience, it doesn’t quite have the space to accommodate a large variety, yet it’s still a huge opportunity for craft.”
However, Andrea Riberi, senior vice president of alcohol beverages for New York-based Nielsen, notes that the segment has seen its distribution increase, including into the convenience channel.