E-Malt.com News article: USA: Alcohol sales continue to weaken in July

U.S. alcohol sales continued to weaken in early July, even as spirits and prepared cocktails held up better than wine and beer, according to new NIQ tracking data for the four weeks ended July 11, Vinetur reported on July 22.

Total alcohol sales reached $9.3 billion in the period, down 2.6% from a year earlier. Case volume fell more sharply, dropping 4.7% to 184.2 million cases. The figures point to a market where consumers are still buying, but often in smaller quantities, and where some categories are proving more resilient than others.

Prepared cocktails posted the strongest performance among major alcohol segments. Dollar sales edged up 0.3% from a year earlier, while case volume declined 4.8%. That gap between revenue and volume suggests pricing and mix continue to support the category even as unit demand softens. Premixed drinks have benefited from convenience and from their fit with summer drinking occasions, which remain important drivers during the warm-weather months.

Spirits also showed relative strength. Dollar sales were down 2.4% in the four-week period, while volume fell 3.9%, though NIQ separately described spirits volume at down 3.4% in a later breakdown of the same period. In either case, spirits declined less than total alcohol and less than wine or beer, making them the slowest-declining traditional alcohol category in the latest reading.

Wine posted the weakest results among the major segments. Dollar sales fell 3.9% and volume dropped 5.6%, extending a pattern of softer demand seen in recent periods. Beer also remained under pressure, with dollar sales down 3.2% and volume off 4.7%. NIQ characterized beer as relatively stable compared with deeper weakness elsewhere, but still in decline.

The latest weekly figures showed an even sharper slowdown after the July 4 holiday. Total alcohol dollar sales for the week fell to $2.2 billion, down 17.4% from the week ended July 4, as purchasing patterns returned to more typical levels after holiday celebrations. Spirits followed that pattern. Weekly spirits sales dropped to $508.4 million from $633.3 million the prior week, a 19.7% decline.

Even so, summer occasions continue to shape category performance. NIQ said spirits have benefited from seasonal drinking patterns, sunny weather and consumer engagement tied to the FIFA World Cup, which has helped support demand during the middle of the summer. The company also said the second half of summer and the tournament’s final week could still provide opportunities for stronger category performance.

Within spirits, whiskey showed notable improvement and overtook tequila as one of the better-performing major segments by value. Whiskey dollar sales were down 1.1%, while volume fell 3.6%. American whiskey stood out within that group, with dollar sales rising 2.6% even as volume slipped 1.3%.

Tequila also remained comparatively firm. Dollar sales declined 1.1%, but volume rose 0.5%, making it one of the few areas where case movement improved year over year. Vodka lagged behind both whiskey and tequila, with dollar sales and volume each down 4.5%.

Nonalcoholic spirits continued to post strong gains from a smaller base, with dollar sales up 22.8% and volume up 22.4%. Other spirits segments remained weaker overall, with dollar sales down 3.4% and volume off 4.2%.

The regional picture was broadly soft, with most major states posting declines in both dollars and volume. Ohio recorded the smallest dollar decline among key markets, down 1.4%, though its volume fell 6.2%. New Jersey had the mildest volume decline at 1.2%, while dollar sales there were down 2.4%. Illinois posted the steepest losses among major markets, with dollar sales down 5.2% and volume falling 7.3%.

Retail channels also showed widespread weakness. Convenience stores had the largest dollar decline at 3.4%, followed by liquor stores at 2.6%, food at 2.5% and mass retail at 1.6%. Club was flat at 0.0%, while the “all other” channel rose 2.9%. Volume trends were similar but generally weaker: convenience fell 6.4%, liquor dropped 5.3%, food declined 4.0% and mass was down 3.6%. Club posted a 1.4% gain in volume and “all other” rose 5.1%.

For beverage companies and retailers, the latest numbers reinforce a split market that is becoming harder to ignore. Ready-to-drink cocktails and spirits are proving more durable on shelves, while wine and beer continue to lose ground in volume terms. That may influence assortment decisions, promotional strategy and pricing through the rest of summer, especially for sellers trying to protect revenue even as consumption eases.

The data also suggest that resilience is not translating into broad growth yet. Prepared cocktails managed a small gain in dollars but still lost volume, while spirits improved relative to other categories without returning to expansion overall. That leaves suppliers facing a market where consumers remain selective, channels are uneven and category strength depends increasingly on format, occasion and price positioning rather than on broad-based demand alone.


23 July, 2026