Where the Gains Are
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
Total c-store beer sales hit the brakes in 2013, with the largest segment—domestic premium—off 1.1%, with case sales down 2%, according to IRI. Many of the smaller segments, however, enjoyed big sales gains. Imports, domestic superpremium, progressive adult beverages and craft all picked up ground.
Cider, while a still relatively small segment in c-stores, continues to add to its gains from the previous year to hit more than $44 million in sales.
In the rest of the alcohol aisle, spirits kept up its unit-sales growth pace from the previous year—up more than 11%—while wine also gained by double-digit percentages.
| Beer | ||||
| C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA | |
| Domestic premium | $8,314.0 | -1.1% | 391.0 | -2.0% |
| Domestic subpremium | $3,333.0 | -5.1% | 210.4 | -6.7% |
| Import | $1,929.3 | 8.0% | 65.4 | 5.7% |
| Domestic superpremium | $1,230.9 | 6.6% | 44.0 | 3.3% |
| Progressive adult beverages | $964.8 | 26.0% | 28.5 | 22.9% |
| Craft | $446.7 | 24.6% | 12.0 | 20.7% |
| Domestic malt liquor | $395.4 | -5.8% | 22.5 | -6.6% |
| Cider | $44.1 | 203.2% | 1.2 | 200.8% |
| Nonalcohol | $9.1 | -2.4% | 0.4 | -4.7% |
| Total beer | $16,667.8 | 1.5% | 775.4 | -1.5% |
| Spirits | ||||
| C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Volume sales (millions) | PCYA | |
| $661.7 | 5.1% | 108.2 | 11.2% | |
| Wine | ||||
| Table | $674.6 | 20.8% | 8.1 | 17.0% |
| Sparkling wine/champagne | $31.0 | 19.8% | 0.3 | 18.6% |
Source: IRI
Latest Quarter: C-Store Beer
C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
In the last quarter of 2013, beer dollar sales rose more than 4% as case sales inched up 1.6%.
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Bud Light (12 12-oz. cans) | $158.8 | 5.8% | 7.0 | 4.8% |
| Bud Light (18 12-oz. cans) | $143.7 | 1.6% | 7.1 | 0.1% |
| Bud Light (12 11-12-oz. bottles) | $85.0 | -12.2% | 3.7 | -14.0% |
| Bud Light (24 12-oz. cans) | $71.6 | 4.4% | 3.8 | 3.4% |
| Corona Extra (12 11-12-oz. bottles) | $67.2 | 13.0% | 2.2 | 10.7% |
| Coors Light (18 12-oz. cans) | $60.5 | 1.5% | 3.0 | -1.3% |
| Bud Light (6 11-12-oz. bottles) | $58.5 | -5.7% | 2.1 | -8.3% |
| Bud Light (6 16-oz. cans) | $56.5 | 1.3% | 2.6 | -2.7% |
| Coors Light (12 12-oz. cans) | $55.3 | 5.4% | 2.4 | 3.2% |
| Bud Light (25-oz. can) | $52.4 | NA | 2.3 | NA |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | $4,057.3 | 4.4% | 186.3 | 1.6% |
Source: IRI
Beer Market Share by Type
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
According to IRI, domestic premium’s share of total c-store beersales—including cider—fell under 50% in 2013, with imports, craft and superpremium picking off points.
| Type | Dollar share | Point change |
| Domestic premium | 49.9% | -1.3 |
| Domestic subpremium | 20.0% | -1.4 |
| Import | 11.6% | 0.7 |
| Domestic superpremium | 7.3% | 0.4 |
| Progressive adult beverages | 5.7% | 1.1 |
| Craft | 2.7% | 0.5 |
| Domestic malt liquor | 2.4% | -0.2 |
| Cider | 0.3% | 0.2 |
| Nonalcohol | 0.1% | 0.0 |
Source: IRI
Beer Market Share by Vendor
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
Vendors with import brands—Crown Imports and Heineken—as well as Boston Beer Co. gained in share of total c-store beer sales in 2013, according to IRI.
| Vendor | Dollar share | Point change |
| Anheuser-Busch InBev | 55.6% | -0.8 |
| MillerCoors Brewing | 24.4% | -0.3 |
| Crown Imports | 6.4% | 0.6 |
| Heineken USA Inc. | 3.4% | 0.1 |
| Pabst Brewing Co. | 1.7% | 0.0 |
| Mark Anthony Brands Inc. | 1.2% | 0.0 |
| Boston Beer Co. | 1.1% | 0.2 |
| North American Breweries | 1.1% | -0.1 |
| Others | 5.1% | NA |
Source: IRI
Domestic Premium Share by Brand
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
MillerCoors’ Coors Light and Miller Lite brands picked up share of c-store domestic premium beer sales in 2013, according to IRI.
| Brand | Dollar share | Point change |
| Bud Light | 48.0% | -0.1 |
| Budweiser | 16.7% | -0.3 |
| Coors Light | 15.9% | 0.7 |
| Miller Lite | 12.3% | 0.3 |
| Bud Ice | 2.5% | 0.1 |
| Yuengling Traditional Lager | 1.5% | 0.0 |
| Others | 3.1% | NA |
Source: IRI
Cross-Category Opportunity
Market baskets that include alcohol average $13.99, compared to an average of $6.29 for purchases without, according to c-store research by Management Science Associates (MSA). The top three items most commonly purchased with alcohol: seasonal general merchandise, such as charcoal; ice; vegetables; frozen pizza; and “other packaged meats,” such as hot dogs. Indeed, more than one-half of market baskets with alcohol included items from other categories, MSA reports.
Domestic Premium Beers
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
While c-store sales of domestic premium were soft in 2013, according to IRI figures, a few brands gained, including Coors and Coors Light, and Bud Ice.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Bud Light | $3,992.0 | -1.3% | 187.8 | -1.8% |
| Budweiser | $1,386.3 | -2.9% | 64.8 | -3.9% |
| Coors Light | $1,324.4 | 3.2% | 61.8 | 1.7% |
| Miller Lite | $1,024.3 | -3.7% | 47.7 | -5.1% |
| Bud Ice | $204.1 | 2.8% | 11.7 | 2.1% |
| Yuengling Traditional Lager | $123.6 | -1.7% | 5.2 | -3.4% |
| Coors | $79.8 | 10.2% | 3.7 | 8.4% |
| Budweiser Select | $49.3 | -12.5% | 2.4 | -13.2% |
| Miller Genuine Draft | $40.2 | -17.4% | 1.9 | -18.2% |
| Miller 64 | $23.9 | -8.6% | 1.1 | -8.6% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $8,314.0 | -1.1% | 391.0 | -2.0% |
Source: IRI
Domestic Subpremium Beers
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
Sales of subpremium beer in c-stores fell in 2013, according to IRI, with dollars down more than 5% and case sales off nearly 7%.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Natural Light | $774.1 | -8.3% | 48.0 | -10.1% |
| Busch Light | $530.1 | 1.2% | 33.9 | 0.0% |
| Busch | $476.8 | -6.7% | 29.9 | -7.9% |
| Keystone Light | $313.6 | -4.8% | 20.4 | -5.8% |
| Miller High Life | $280.5 | -11.3% | 17.0 | -13.3% |
| Natural Ice | $236.8 | -12.5% | 14.8 | -15.2% |
| Pabst Blue Ribbon | $160.7 | 10.9% | 9.6 | 9.1% |
| Icehouse | $159.5 | -8.9% | 9.5 | -9.6% |
| Milwaukee’s Best Ice | $90.1 | -1.2% | 6.5 | -2.9% |
| Milwaukee’s Best Light | $63.4 | -7.9% | 4.5 | -8.5% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $3,333.0 | -5.1% | 210.4 | -6.7% |
Source: IRI
Progressive Adult Beverages
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
AB-InBev’s Bud Light Lime brand family and the Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea brand family from Twisted Tea Brewing Co. enjoyed gains in c-store dollar and case sales in 2013, according to IRI.
| Brand family | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Bud Light Lime | $239.7 | 222.1% | 6.8 | 219.3% |
| Mike’s Hard | $204.1 | 0.2% | 6.1 | 0.8% |
| Four Loko | $134.8 | -5.0% | 4.1 | -6.1% |
| Smirnoff Ice | $112.5 | -9.2% | 3.2 | -9.7% |
| Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea | $97.4 | 11.6% | 3.2 | 12.2% |
| Redds | $70.3 | -- | 1.9 | -- |
| Sparks | $23.0 | -19.1% | 1.0 | -15.9% |
| Smirnoff Premium Mixed Drinks | $16.5 | 9.8% | 0.4 | 7.6% |
| Joose | $12.2 | -16.9% | 0.4 | -19.1% |
| Margaritaville | $11.0 | 23.5% | 0.4 | 25.8% |
| Total (including brand families not shown) | $964.8 | 26.0% | 28.5 | 22.9% |
Source: IRI
Imported Beers
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
The imports segment turned in another strong year of dollar and case sales growth, with six of the top 10 brands enjoying increases compared to 2012, according to IRI c-store figures.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Corona Extra | $632.5 | 7.9% | 19.7 | 5.9% |
| Modelo Especial | $356.0 | 23.0% | 12.9 | 17.5% |
| Heineken | $320.9 | -1.6% | 9.7 | -3.5% |
| Dos Equis XX Lager Especial | $113.5 | 27.0% | 3.5 | 24.4% |
| Tecate | $66.4 | -0.7% | 3.0 | -3.6% |
| Labatt Blue Light | $60.2 | -6.2% | 3.1 | -2.4% |
| Labatt Blue | $57.7 | -2.3% | 2.9 | 1.5% |
| Stella Artois Lager | $53.1 | 32.2% | 1.3 | 30.4% |
| Corona Light | $46.7 | 9.0% | 1.4 | 7.2% |
| Fosters Lager | $24.2 | 7.0% | 0.9 | 3.5% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $1,929.3 | 8.0% | 65.4 | 5.7% |
Source: IRI
Ciders by Brand Family
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
C-store sales of cider leapt more than 200% in 2013, according to IRI, led by Boston Beer’s Angry Orchard brand family.
| Brand family | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Angry Orchard | $28.2 | 432.8% | 0.8 | 428.7% |
| Woodchuck | $8.4 | 38.6% | 0.2 | 37.3% |
| Michelob Cider | $1.5 | 22.9% | <0.1 | 20.3% |
| Total (including brand families not shown) | $44.1 | 203.2% | 1.2 | 200.8% |
Source: IRI
Craft Beers by Brand Family
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
The Lagunitas Brewing Co.’s self-named brand family gained more than a point of share of c-store craft-beer sales in 2013, according to IRI.
| Brand family | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Samuel Adams | $65.9 | 17.0% | 1.8 | 14.8% |
| Sierra Nevada | $53.6 | 15.9% | 1.5 | 15.0% |
| Shiner | $43.1 | 18.7% | 1.3 | 15.3% |
| New Belgium | $31.6 | 4.9% | 0.9 | 4.4% |
| Lagunitas | $15.6 | 101.5% | 0.4 | 97.8% |
| Total (including brand families not shown) | $446.7 | 24.6% | 12.0 | 20.7% |
Source: IRI
Domestic Superpremium Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
Michelob Ultra Light, Bud Light Chelada and Blue Moon Belgian White Ale helped push case sales of domestic superpremium beer in c-stores up more than 3% in 2013, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Michelob Ultra Light | $397.4 | 11.0% | 14.9 | 6.3% |
| Bud Light Platinum Lager | $188.0 | -16.5% | 6.7 | -18.4% |
| Bud Light Lime | $149.8 | -13.3% | 5.4 | -15.9% |
| Bud Light Chelada | $97.0 | 11.5% | 3.0 | 8.9% |
| Blue Moon Belgian White Ale | $74.8 | 19.4% | 2.2 | 18.5% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $1,230.9 | 6.6% | 44.0 | 3.3% |
Source: IRI
Wine by Brand and UPC
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
According to IRI, c-store wine sales rose more than 20% in 2013, with the top-selling UPC the four-count of 0.187-liter bottles of Sutter Home Chardonnay.
| Table Wine Brands | ||||
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Volume sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Barefoot | $98.6 | 27.3% | 1.2 | 27.0% |
| Sutter Home | $81.6 | 20.4% | 1.1 | 18.7% |
| Yellow Tail | $41.6 | 12.1% | 0.5 | 13.2% |
| Woodbridge By Robert Mondavi | $26.9 | 12.4% | 0.3 | 14.0% |
| Gallo Family Vineyards | $23.8 | -3.7% | 0.4 | -5.8% |
| Total (including rands not shown) | $674.6 | 20.8% | 8.1 | 17.0% |
| Wine UPCs | ||||
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Sutter Home Chardonnay (4-count, 0.187-liter) | $12.7 | 19.2% | 2.0 | 14.2% |
| Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay (0.75-liter) | $12.1 | 28.6% | 0.8 | 25.7% |
| Barefoot Pinot Grigio (0.75-liter) | $11.9 | 23.7% | 1.6 | 23.2% |
| Barefoot Moscato (0.75-liter) | $11.6 | 0.6% | 1.6 | -0.5% |
| Barefoot Chardonnay (0.75-liter) | $10.8 | 8.1% | 1.5 | 6.7% |
Source: IRI
Customer in Focus
Demographics guide beer sales, Mintel reports in its latest report on the category, with younger consumers more likely to drink the brew. In fact, according to a Mintel consumer survey, those who are 22 and older reported that they were more likely to drink wine and spirits. And while older consumers are expected to grow more quickly as a percentage of the total U.S. population, it does not necessarily bode poorly for beer. “All millennials will reach drinking age by 2015,” Mintel says, “and this generation outnumbers its predecessor—Generation X—by a large margin, which should provide a boost for the market in the coming years.”
Spirits by Brand and UPC
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
Unit sales of spirits soared more than 11% in 2013, with growth up more than 13% in the final quarter of the year, IRI reports.
| Spirit Brands | ||||
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Smirnoff | $45.3 | 3.2% | 7.7 | 13.2% |
| Jack Daniels Black Label | $37.5 | 1.4% | 3.9 | 3.7% |
| Crown Royal | $34.7 | 5.8% | 2.5 | 2.7% |
| Captain Morgan | $34.0 | 6.0% | 3.4 | 12.6% |
| Bacardi | $22.1 | -8.1% | 3.0 | -6.5% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $661.7 | 5.1% | 108.2 | 11.2% |
Source: IRI
Latest Quarter: Spirits UPCs
C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Jack Daniel’s Black Label Regular Tennessee Whiskey (80-proof, 0.75-liter) | $3.3 | 10.4% | 0.1 | 5.6% |
| Crown Royal Regular Canadian Whiskey (80-proof, 0.75-liter) | $3.0 | 11.2% | 0.1 | 10.5% |
| Smirnoff Regular Vodka (80-proof, 0.375-liter) | $2.6 | -1.2% | 0.3 | -3.9% |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | $179.4 | 10.8% | 29.3 | 13.3% |
Source: IRI
Malt Liquors by Brand Family
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
C-store sales of malt liquor fell nearly 6% in 2013, according to IRI, although AB-InBev’s Hurricane brand gained ground.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Case sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Steel Reserve Malt Liquor | $158.2 | -1.9% | 8.8 | -1.4% |
| Olde English | $53.1 | -10.2% | 3.0 | -11.9% |
| Hurricane | $47.9 | 3.0% | 3.0 | 2.9% |
| Mickey’s | $47.4 | -5.3% | 2.3 | -7.3% |
| King Cobra | $32.8 | -12.8% | 2.2 | -13.7% |
| Total (including brand families not shown) | $395.4 | -5.8% | 22.5 | -6.5% |
Source: IRI
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.