OPM—the only fully projected and extensively validated measure of beverage alcohol performance in the US On Premise—shows craft was the second largest contributor to beer sales by value in the 12 months to end-May.
This highlights the enduring value of craft beer despite a wide range of recent stresses in an increasingly complex marketplace. Pressures have led to the closure of Anchor Brewing, widely regarded as the oldest craft brewery in the US, while distribution points have dropped by 7.7% in the last year, leading to a 2.7% decline in sales.
It emphasises the need for smart and targeted investment that is rooted in insights from OPM, the most robust view of sales performance and trends ever produced in the US and trusted by all leading beverage suppliers. It provides deep analysis of the craft beer category—including beer breakdowns by category, which indicate that domestic premium beers contribute 29.7% of total sales, while imported beer accounts for 21.7%.
CGA by NIQ’s service shows India Pale Ale and Seasonal styles attract the greatest share of the craft beer category, with sales shares of 26.7% and 13.7% respectively. Other popular types include Witbier Belgian Wheat Ale (11.3%), Pale Ale (8.4%) and Amber ager (4.4%).
Craft beer remains most popular in states on the US west coast. It takes 40.2% of total beer sales in California, and is prominent in Washington (33.3%) and Oregon (31.4%) as well. Other US states showing growth in the last 12 months include Louisiana (+3.5%), Pennsylvania (+2.9%) and Tennessee (+2.5%).
OPM helps beverage suppliers to capitalize on these and many more trends in craft beer. Following a recent enhancement, the service now includes performance tracking in 15 individual US states, a total of 19 DMAs, measurement across four sub-channels (casual dining, fine dining, bars and nightclubs), and tracking of small, premium brands on. Alongside these updates, OPM also tracks 9L EQ, total distribution points and price.
Matthew Compton, CGA by NIQ’s regional director – North America, said: “The craft beer market has changed significantly in the last 12 months, and supply tactics that have worked in the past now need to change with the times. However, despite recent challenges this category remains full of opportunities for breweries and suppliers, and achieving an expert understanding of the evolution of consumers’ behavior by style and location is essential to maximizing this potential. CGA’s OPM is the perfect solution for identifying trends and evolving categories on a four-weekly, quarterly or annual basis. It provides the foundations for easy and accurate analysis of market-level execution and the optimization of category and channel strategies for success.”
Matthew Compton, CGA by NIQ’s regional director – North America, said: “The craft beer market has changed significantly in the last 12 months, and supply tactics that have worked in the past now need to change with the times. However, despite recent challenges this category remains full of opportunities for breweries and suppliers, and achieving an expert understanding of the evolution of consumers’ behavior by style and location is essential to maximizing this potential. CGA’s OPM is the perfect solution for identifying trends and evolving categories on a four-weekly, quarterly or annual basis. It provides the foundations for easy and accurate analysis of market-level execution and the optimization of category and channel strategies for success.”To discover more about CGA by NIQ’s On Premise Measurement solution, along with expert support for understanding trends at category, segment and brand level within the US On Premise, contact Matthew Crompton at matthew.crompton@nielseniq.com or visit https://cgastrategy.com/unlock-the-potential-of-opm.
