- In 2024, total US wine & spirits sales declined by 4.8% (volumes -5.4%)
- Wine sales by value sank 6.3% in the 12 months, volumes dropped 7.2%
- Spirits-based RTDs & premix cocktails bucking the trend
The beverage alcohol trend of premiumisation in the US has faded in recent months, according to recently-released research, resulting in a drag on wine and spirits sales.
In its ‘SipSource Q4 2024 Industry Report’, published this week, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) has warned that US consumers are not trading up but trending away from alcohol consumption. Among the findings in the report were figures a slide in spirits sales by value last year of 4.3%, while wine revenue fell by 6.3%.
Labelling 2024 as one of the “most challenging years in collective memory” for beverage alcohol, the report found that spirits depletions decreased by 3.7% and wine dropped by 7.2% in the 12-month period. It added that, unlike previous cycles where volume shifted between categories, the overall decline signals a broader challenge facing the industry – “changing consumer behaviours trending away from alcohol consumption”.
The WSWA said that a notable success story last year was the “rapid rise in popularity of spirits-based premixed cocktails”, which it claimed now represents 14.2% of the total spirits market, up from just 3.2% five years ago. The RTD category, meanwhile grew by 3.4% in volume and by 3.5% in revenue.
These typically canned beverages were also credited with driving the slight lift in the total of accounts selling wine and spirits in 2024 (+0.7%), the report added. Convenience stores, where most pre-mixed cocktails were sold, jumped by 28.1% in ‘Accounts Sold’, according to the report.
“Shifting lifestyle choices – including the rise of moderation and abstinence trends – are reshaping consumption patterns,” said SipSource analyst Dale Stratton. “Additionally, the industry is facing competition from alternative adult beverages like energy drinks, botanical-infused drinks, and hemp-derived products, which are increasingly winning traditional alcohol consumption occasions.”
Looking ahead, the WSWA forecast that 2025 “could be a year of stabilisation in negative territory, with minimal fluctuation expected across major categories”. However, the organisation said, this would depend on the country’s trade policy.
The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association revealed that last year, spirits sales in the Control States of the US were flat at -0.3% while volumes were slightly lower at -0.9%.
