US wine sales growth flat amid other alcohol growth in 6th week of coronavirus lockdown

Sales of wine held steady in U.S. stores in the sixth week of the coronavirus lockdown after dipping 3.3% the previous week, according to the latest data from Nielsen.

Wine sales in off-premises channels the market research firm tracks were 29.4% higher by value for the week ending April 25 than a year before. Table wine sales edged up 0.5% in dollars for the week and 29.6% over 12 months, while sparkling wine sales slipped 6.4% for the week but were up 9.7% from a year prior.

But growth in store sales of other beverage alcohol categories picked up the week ending April 25, with spirits up 1.4% for the week and 39.6% over 12 months; beer, malt beverages and cider up 6.3% that week and 20.4% from a year before. Beer itself was up 5.9% for the week and 11.9% from a year prior.

Total beverage alcohol off-premises sales for the week ending April 25 were up 3.6% from the previous week and 26.4% over 12 months. Beverage alcohol sales growth is outpacing that of other goods in consumers’ store carts, according to Nielsen.

“Off-premise alcohol gains continue to outpace those for total consumer packaged goods. And e-commerce is a big factor,” Danny Brager, senior vice president of beverage alcohol at Nielsen.

Over the past four weeks, online sales were up between five and six fold, compared with the same periods a year before, Brager said. Growth was 246% through the week of March 21, 291% through March 28, and 441% through April 4, according to Sovos Shipcompliant.

“Largely, this relates to a huge increase in the number of buyers going online to buy, with a secondary increase related to more items purchased per order,” he said.