It’s the Most Wonderful Time to Sell Seasonal Beers

Nov. 19, 2015

‘Tis the season of holiday cheer, and with it comes countless varieties of holiday beers. Gone are the pumpkin and maple brown ales; in are the gingerbread stouts, pepper-infused porters, barrel-aged barleywines and fruit-cake like winter warmers.

While seasonal beers only account for about 4% of all bar and restaurant craft beer sales, according to market research firm IRI, they made up 17% of all supermarket craft beer sales last year and increased 17% from 2013. Though that still puts seasonal sales behind IPA's massive and steady 23% share of all craft beers, the Brewers Association points to the one time of year when seasonals fly off the shelves faster than hoppy IPAs: September through December. According to the Brewer Association, in the 13 weeks of winter ending February 22, 2015, seasonals grew 5.2 percent by volume and 8.3% in dollar sales based on IRI scan data. During that same 13-week period, seasonals represented 15.8% of total craft sales.

The season of seasonal SKUs might seem overwhelming, but this time of the year can be a one of tremendous growth for both on-and-off-premise accounts if they order early, plan accordingly and merchandise often. Here are more ways to grow your craft beer sales this holiday season.

Look Beyond Winter Warmers

September through October is high pumpkin ale season, and December’s cold weather is ideal for selling comforting winter warmers and boozy barelywines, but what about November? As it turns out, November is the perfect opportunity for both retail accounts and suppliers to sell stouts and specialty beers.

In a recent Brewer’s Association article, Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewers Association, noted that the category “Specialty Release, Specialty, Collaboration” surges in November and December.

In 2013-2014, the category sold 16% of its volume each of those two months, or third of its total volume in a two month period. That’s up over 4 percentage points from the 12% of volume in October.

Unlike traditional holiday ales, brewery specialty releases start flying off the shelves in November. Some of this may have to do with timing of releases, as well as the fact that many specialty releases are done as high ABV styles or are barrel-aged, which are two key segment consumers start to crave as the weather turns colder. The sale of stouts, while not necessarily a seasonal per se, also see sales surge starting November 1. According to Watson, stout sales as a whole are up 32.1% by volume YTD in IRI scan data. 

Variety Packs

Variety packs are an essential SKU for the holidays, with consumers attending and hosting holiday parties of all themes and sizes. From Thanksgiving football games to ugly sweater and New Year’s Eve parties, variety packs are a quick solution for consumers looking to appease a wide range of tastes and preferences.

For off-premise retail accounts, it makes sense to stock a range of variety packs, and here’s why: sales of seasonal variety packs jumped 21% last year and made up nearly 10% of all craft beer volume. That is a huge gain and not one that should be ignored this time of the year.

So why the big upswing in sales? One reason is that variety packs allow consumers to try an assortment of different beers without having to buy an entire six-pack. Variety packs also give consumers the freedom to experiment with a range of beer styles when doing holiday food pairings.

These variety packs are also a draw for consumers looking to try a beer that isn’t available in any other package. Many brewers will release a few rare or one-off beers in their variety packs. Several breweries are even creating unique gift packs with beer and glassware combined.

Holiday Merchandising

There’s a science to stocking your store’s shelves and setting up holiday displays, and according to research by the World Business Institute, consumer impulse buying behavior is significantly influenced by window, forum and floor merchandising.

When merchandising for the holidays, stores should keep in mind that many consumers are shopping for gifts or holiday parties. This means that the average consumer is willing to spend more on a product that is seasonal or special. Be aware of this, and feature those rare specialty beers, collaborations and gift box sets in an attractive and appealing way. You can also create large seasonal beer displays as a way to cross merchandise other holiday gift ideas, such as glassware, bar accessories and even gift bags.

Need more holiday ideas? Contact your Breakthru Beverage Sales Consultant or Craft Beer Merchandiser and work with them to make this holiday season one to remember.