Crafting excitement in beer segment

Momentum in the beer category is coming from craft beers. “Craft beers are growing at a 10% clip,” said Eric Shepard, executive editor of Beer Marketer’s Insights. “Seasonals and variety packs are the big news, and Indiana Pale Ales are very hot right now.” 


There hasn’t been much innovation in mainstream beers, and the category has remained stagnant as a result. Premium light beers have been showing signs of improvement, a spike that may be due to consumers trading up from subpremium beers. “The subpremiums have taken a hit since manufacturers raised prices in the segment,” Shepard said. “With the gap between premiums and subpremiums narrower, consumers just traded up.”

The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Beer Sell-Through Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.