Beer: The Liquid Center of Summer Celebrations

Looking for a reason to pump up retail beer promotions this summer? Look no further than industry statistics, which show how much beer can do for overall store performance.

Not only is beer one of the few Top 10 categories that continue to drive growth; it also is the second biggest dollar sales contributor in the summer, with 40 percent of annual beer growth driven by summer performance. If that isn’t enough, beer baskets yield an additional 43 percent of dollars per check-out, according to Craig Bosworth, Vice President of Customer Solutions at MillerCoors.

“Beer brings in additional shoppers, especially during the summer, with 16 percent more beer households and almost 15 percent more beer trips,” Bosworth says.

The news is even more encouraging for light beer. According to Technomic’s 2013 BeerTAB (Trends in Adult Beverage) Report, total beer volume in 2012 increased 1.2 percent to 2.8 billion 2.25-gallon cases, and retail dollars rose 3.5 percent to $62.3 billion. Light beer remained the largest category, and volume expanded slightly.

“Premium lights drive the bulk of all beer sales—and they drive basket size with other key summer categories,” Bosworth reports.

During holiday time frames – think Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day – premium lights also see a greater share of sales, he adds.

Because summer entertaining revolves around celebrations that pair beer with food favorites prepared on the grill, grocery retailers can become preferred destinations for beer and food purchases by creating eye-catching displays and promotions.

“Displays like those featuring Miller Lite and Guy Fieri are in-store reminders for your customers to buy beer, while location and assortment are key drivers,” Bosworth says. “Those are the key components for achieving success with beer sales this summer.”