Where the Gains Are
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Import, domestic superpremium and craft beer rang up strong c-store sales in 2015, continuing a trend from the year prior, according to IRI. Also up: cider, which has more than tripled its c-store dollar sales in the past two years alone. Sales in the largest segment—domestic premium—seemed to stabilize after a soft 2014.
Spirits and wine, meanwhile, both ended the year with double-digit sales increases.
Beer
| Beer type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic premium | $8,796.8 | 1.8% | 404.4 | 0.9% |
| Domestic subpremium | $3,183.1 | (1.0%) | 194.7 | (2.9%) |
| Import | $2,567.2 | 16.3% | 81.6 | 14.3% |
| Domestic superpremium | $1,539.4 | 10.5% | 51.7 | 9.5% |
| Progressive adult beverages | $970.3 | 2.3% | 28.6 | 1.4% |
| Craft | $818.8 | 30.5% | 20.8 | 26.2% |
| Domestic malt liquor | $433.1 | 4.6% | 23.2 | 0.9% |
| Cider | $131.6 | 21.2% | 3.6 | 18.9% |
| Nonalcohol | $11.1 | 10.3% | 0.5 | 9.6% |
| Total beer | $18,452.0 | 5.0% | 810.2 | 2.3% |
Spirits
| C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirits | $1,041.6 | 12.0% | 7.2 | 14.1% |
Wine
| C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table | $876.6 | 9.2% | 10.2 | 7.6% |
| Sparkling | $42.7 | 13.0% | 0.4 | 9.5% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago
Domestic Premium Share by Brand
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Nearly 47% of c-store domestic premium beer sales in 2015 came from the Bud Light brand, according to IRI.
| Brand | Dollar share | Point change |
|---|---|---|
| Bud Light | 46.8% | (0.4) |
| Budweiser | 16.1% | (0.0) |
| Coors Light | 15.5% | 0.1 |
| Miller Lite | 12.8% | 0.4 |
| Bud Ice | 2.9% | 0.2 |
| Yuengling Traditional Lager | 1.5% | 0.0 |
| Coors | 1.2% | 0.1 |
| Others*** | 3.2% | N/A |
Source: IRI | *** Brands with less than 1% market share
Beer UPCs
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
The top-selling beer UPC in the last quarter of 2015 was the 12-pack of 12-ounce Bud Light cans, according to IRI.
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bud Light (12 12-oz. cans) | $639.4 | (1.6%) | 27.8 | (2.4%) |
| Bud Light (18 12-oz. cans) | $567.8 | (6.0%) | 27.6 | (7.0%) |
| Bud Light (25-oz. can) | $392.6 | 5.0% | 16.4 | 2.1% |
| Corona Extra (12 11-12-oz. bottles) | $353.4 | 12.9% | 11.2 | 10.8% |
| Bud Light (12 11-12-oz. bottles) | $317.1 | (4.0%) | 13.5 | (5.1%) |
| Bud Light (24 12-oz. cans) | $310.3 | (1.7%) | 16.3 | (2.0%) |
| Bud Light (6 16-oz. cans) | $270.0 | 1.2% | 12.3 | (1.9%) |
| Coors Light (18 12-oz. cans) | $246.8 | (1.6%) | 12.0 | (2.5%) |
| Bud Light (6 11-12-oz. bottles) | $240.8 | 1.0% | 8.5 | (1.1%) |
| Coors Light (12 12-oz. cans) | $231.2 | (1.8%) | 10.1 | (2.1%) |
| Total** | $18,452.0 | 5.0% | 810.2 | 2.3% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Beer Market Share by Type
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Import, domestic superpremium, craft and cider picked up share of c-store beer sales in 2015, taking from domestic premium and subpremium.
| Type | Dollar share | Point change |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic premium | 47.7% | (1.5) |
| Domestic subpremium | 17.3% | (1.0) |
| Import | 13.9% | 1.3 |
| Domestic superpremium | 8.3% | 0.4 |
| Progressive adult beverages | 5.3% | (0.1) |
| Craft | 4.4% | 0.9 |
| Domestic malt liquor | 2.3% | (0.0) |
| Cider | 0.7% | 0.1 |
| Nonalcohol | 0.1% | 0.0 |
Source: IRI
Continued: Beer by Type, Wine, Spirits
Domestic Premium Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
C-stores sales of domestic premium beer rose 1.8% in 2015, with eight of the top 10 brands posting growth, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bud Light | $4,113.3 | 0.9% | 189.5 | (0.2%) |
| Budweiser | $1,419.2 | 1.5% | 64.5 | 0.3% |
| Coors Light | $1,363.4 | 2.3% | 61.4 | 1.6% |
| Miller Lite | $1,130.3 | 4.9% | 51.8 | 4.3% |
| Bud Ice | $254.2 | 10.3% | 14.4 | 8.7% |
| Yuengling Traditional Lager | $134.0 | 2.7% | 5.5 | 0.7% |
| Coors | $106.4 | 7.7% | 4.8 | 6.0% |
| Rolling Rock | $75.0 | 10.2% | 4.1 | 8.2% |
| Budweiser Select | $56.2 | (4.6%) | 2.7 | (5.7%) |
| Miller Genuine Draft | $32.1 | (7.8%) | 1.5 | (9.4%) |
| Total** | $8,796.8 | 1.8% | 405.4 | 0.9% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Domestic Subpremium Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
C-store case sales in the domestic subpremium segment fell nearly 3% in 2015, with eight of the top 10 brands taking a hit, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Light | $732.6 | (3.6%) | 44.4 | (5.2%) |
| Busch Light | $534.6 | 3.7% | 33.0 | 1.5% |
| Busch | $443.5 | (1.9%) | 26.4 | (4.1%) |
| Keystone Light | $283.5 | (3.7%) | 17.6 | (5.3%) |
| Miller High Life | $271.2 | 1.3% | 16.0 | (0.8%) |
| Natural Ice | $221.5 | (4.1%) | 13.5 | (7.6%) |
| Pabst Blue Ribbon | $177.5 | 4.1% | 10.2 | 2.4% |
| Icehouse | $148.1 | (5.4%) | 8.7 | (6.0%) |
| Milwaukee’s Best Ice | $81.5 | (0.4%) | 5.9 | (0.0%) |
| Milwaukee’s Best Light | $53.2 | (9.3%) | 3.8 | (10.2%) |
| Total** | $3,183.1 | (1.0%) | 194.7 | (2.9%) |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Domestic Superpremium Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
The domestic superpremium segment enjoyed strong sales gains in 2015, led by Michelob Ultra Light, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelob Ultra Light | $585.2 | 22.0% | 21.5 | 21.0% |
| Bud Light Platinum Lager | $159.7 | (8.6%) | 5.5 | (9.8%) |
| Bud Light Lime | $150.9 | 2.5% | 5.2 | 1.0% |
| Bud Light Chelada | $110.8 | 4.2% | 3.4 | 3.4% |
| Blue Moon Belgian White Ale | $95.7 | 15.1% | 2.7 | 13.0% |
| Total** | $1,539.4 | 10.5% | 51.7 | 9.5% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Import Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Nine of the top 10 import brands grew case sales in 2015. The top three brands supplied nearly 70% of c-store import sales.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corona Extra | $846.8 | 17.4% | 25.2 | 15.6% |
| Modelo Especial | $576.7 | 27.2% | 19.3 | 24.0% |
| Heineken | $369.0 | 4.6% | 10.8 | 3.1% |
| Dos Equis XX Lager Especial | $169.0 | 15.5% | 5.0 | 13.3% |
| Stella Artois Lager | $81.1 | 24.9% | 2.0 | 25.2% |
| Tecate | $66.3 | (1.7%) | 2.9 | (3.3%) |
| Corona Light | $61.9 | 15.6% | 1.8 | 13.7% |
| Modelo Especial Chelada | $51.7 | 55.6% | 1.4 | 55.4% |
| Labatt Blue | $39.4 | 1.2% | 1.9 | 0.2% |
| Labatt Blue Light | $38.3 | 4.5% | 1.9 | 2.7% |
| Total** | $2,567.2 | 16.3% | 81.6 | 14.3% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Big Number
30.5% —Increase in c-store dollar sales of craft beer in 2015, according to IRI
Craft Brand Families
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
C-store craft-beer sales rose by double digits in 2015, hitting more than $818 million, IRI data shows.
| Brand family | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lSamuel Adams | $90.7 | 3.6% | 2.4 | 1.1% |
| lSierra Nevada | $80.4 | 22.3% | 2.2 | 20.8% |
| lShiner | $53.5 | 8.3% | 1.5 | 5.7% |
| lNew Belgium | $49.7 | 0.5% | 1.3 | (0.3%) |
| lLagunitas | $41.8 | 60.8% | 1.0 | 59.4% |
| Total** | $818.8 | 30.5% | 20.8 | 26.2% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Big Number
$131.6M —C-store sales of cider in 2015, per IRI
Cider Brand Families
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
The small but mighty craft segment posted double-digit dollar and case sale increases last year.
| Brand family | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angry Orchard | $87.8 | 33.1% | 2.4 | 31.0% |
| Smith & Forge | $10.4 | 10.3% | 0.3 | 8.1% |
| Johnny Cider | $8.0 | (28.2%) | 0.2 | (27.8%) |
| Woodchuck | $6.2 | (17.2%) | 0.2 | (16.8%) |
| Citizen Cider | $3.8 | 191.3% | 0.1 | 215.0% |
| Total** | $131.6 | 21.2% | 3.6 | 18.9% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Malt Liquor Brand Families
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Four of the top five malt-liquor brand families saw c-store case sales slip in 2015, according to IRI.
| Brand family | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel Reserve Malt Liquor | $201.1 | 13.7% | 10.3 | 8.5% |
| Hurricane | $58.7 | (0.6%) | 3.4 | (4.5%) |
| Olde English | $50.3 | (0.9%) | 2.8 | (1.8%) |
| Mickey’s | $47.7 | 0.6% | 2.3 | (0.1%) |
| King Cobra | $29.4 | (8.4%) | 1.9 | (9.7%) |
| Total** | $433.1 | 4.6% | 23.2 | 0.9% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Continued: Wine & Spirits
Progressive-Adult-Beverage Brand Families
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
In progressive adult beverages, the Mike’s Harder and Twisted brand families were among the biggest c-store sales gainers in 2015, according to IRI.
| Brand family | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bud Light Lime | $224.0 | (18.2%) | 6.6 | (17.2%) |
| Mike’s Harder | $173.4 | 11.2% | 5.3 | 9.7% |
| Twisted | $144.8 | 20.8% | 4.7 | 18.8% |
| Four Loko | $129.4 | (1.5%) | 3.9 | (2.8%) |
| Smirnoff Ice | $115.4 | 6.4% | 3.2 | 5.6% |
| Mike’s Hard | $73.2 | 3.0% | 2.0 | 2.1% |
| Bud Light Mixxtail | $24.8 | N/A | 0.7 | N/A |
| Smirnoff Premium Mixed Drinks | $17.8 | 8.3% | 0.5 | 6.3% |
| Sparks | $15.9 | (20.6%) | 0.7 | (23.8%) |
| Johnny Bootlegger | $14.6 | 21.3% | 0.2 | 22.5% |
| Total** | $970.3 | 2.3% | 28.6 | 1.4% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Channel Comparison: Alcohol Beverages
52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
The c-store channel in 2015 rang up nearly $18.5 billion in alcohol beverage sales, which includes beer, hard cider and progressive adult beverages, according to IRI.
| Channel | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-store | $18,452.0 | 5.0% | 810.2 | 2.3% |
| Multioutlet*** | $14,896.1 | 4.6% | 673.7 | 1.9% |
| Food | $10,138.6 | 5.1% | 438.1 | 2.1% |
| Drug | $1,189.1 | (5.6%) | 58.0 | (7.7%) |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | *** Includes supermarkets, drug stores, mass market, military commissaries, and select club and dollar retail chains
Wine by Brand and UPC
C-store table-wine sales rose more than 9% in 2015, with case sales up nearly 8%, according to IRI. The top-selling UPC in the last quarter was the 0.75-liter Barefoot Pinot Grigio.
Table-Wine Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
| Brand family | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barefoot | $132.5 | 9.3% | 1.6 | 9.9% |
| Sutter Home | $94.2 | 5.9% | 1.2 | 5.4% |
| Yellow Tail | $42.0 | (1.9%) | 0.5 | (0.9%) |
| Woodbridge By Robert Mondavi | $34.2 | 8.4% | 0.4 | 9.0% |
| Gallo Family Vineyards | $26.8 | 13.1% | 0.4 | 15.4% |
| Total** | $876.6 | 9.2% | 10.2 | 7.6% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Sparkling-Wine Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andre | $8.1 | 13.8% | 0.1 | 9.2% |
| Korbel | $5.5 | 21.9% | 0.0 | 21.0% |
| Cooks | $4.5 | 10.2% | 0.0 | 7.2% |
| Total** | $42.7 | 13.0% | 0.4 | 9.5% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Latest Quarter: Table-Wine UPCs
C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barefoot Pinot Grigio (0.75-liter) | $15.3 | 9.3% | 0.2 | 10.5% |
| Sutter Home Chardonnay (4-count, 0.187-liter) | $15.2 | 8.4% | 0.2 | 9.6% |
| Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay (0.75-liter) | $14.4 | 12.2% | 0.1 | 13.3% |
| Apothic Red (0.75-liter) | $13.9 | 29.8% | 0.1 | 29.0% |
| Barefoot Moscato (0.75-liter) | $13.8 | 7.7% | 0.2 | 7.4% |
| Total** | $876.6 | 9.2% | 10.2 | 7.6% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Continued: Spirits
Spirits by Brand and UPC
C-store spirits sales rose 12% in 2015, led by Smirnoff vodka and Fireball whisky brands, according to IRI. The top-selling UPC in the final quarter: the 0.75-liter Jack Daniels Black Label whiskey.
Spirits Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smirnoff Domestic Vodka | $60.3 | 11.4% | 0.3 | 11.8% |
| Fireball Whisky Specialties | $51.5 | 71.4% | 0.2 | 73.3% |
| Jack Daniels North American Whiskey | $49.6 | 2.3% | 0.2 | 0.3% |
| Crown Royal North American Whisky | $49.2 | (0.6%) | 0.1 | (1.5%) |
| Captain Morgan Rum | $46.9 | 2.7% | 0.2 | 2.1% |
| Total** | $1,041.6 | 12.0% | 7.2 | 14.1% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Latest Quarter: Spirits UPCs
C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Case sales | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Daniels Black Label Regular Tennessee Whiskey (0.75-liter) | $15.9 | 4.0% | 0.1 | 2.0% |
| Crown Royal Regular Canadian Whisky (0.75-liter) | $15.5 | 2.6% | 0.0 | 0.4% |
| Fireball Cinnamon Whisky (0.5-liter) | $14.8 | 120.5% | 0.1 | 138.8% |
| Smirnoff Vodka (0.375-liter) | $14.1 | 16.1% | 0.1 | 16.5% |
| Wild Turkey American Honey (0.05-liter) | $12.9 | 42.4% | 0.1 | 50.5% |
| Total** | $1,041.6 | 12.0% | 7.2 | 14.1% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Consumer in Focus
When asked by Mintel which attributes they would most like to see more of in domestic and import beer sold at retail, consumers gave preference to: higher alcohol content (27%), more flavor variety in low-calorie beer (24%) and resealable cans (21%). Packaging innovation seems to be on top of consumers’ minds; the fourth and fifth most popular preferences included a wish for other packaging formats for better storage, and bulk packaging of aluminum bottles.
Packaged Beverages: What to Watch
Carbonated Soft Drinks
Bottled Water
Fruit Juice and Fruit Drinks
Specialty: Energy, Sport, Tea, Coffee
CMOY Alcohol Beverages: Damian Wyatt
CMOY Packaged Beverages: Gary Woods
View the full 2016 Category Management Handbook
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