Market Watch, Summer 2020
32 MARKET WATCH MARKETWATCHMAG COM SUMMER 2020 PHOTO BY RICHARD FLEISCHMAN B everage alcohol continues to solidify its reputation as the antidote to all negative economic trends wars depressions recessions even pandemics and riots While on premise sales were largely wiped off the map in mid March due to lockdown orders the off premise has continued to boom After the rush of pantry loading at the outset of the Covid 19 crisis most experts predicted the surge would ebb as time went on By the end of May the off premise swell was finally decelerating a bit from the week earlier numbers but even then the year on year trends remained eye popping For the week through May 30 spirits sales in Nielsen channels saw their growth ease by 68 from the previous week but sales from the year on year period were still up by 32 Wine eased by 55 on a week to week basis according to Nielsen but rose by 24 when compared to the same week in 2019 And while Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day represented lost opportunities for the on premise sales in the off premise remained unusually healthy for both holidays Big volume nationally advertised brands have led the way not surprisingly as shoppers reached for old standbys marching onward Amid an onslaught of negative economic statistics off premise drinks sales remain the great business anomaly of Covid 19 BY DAVID FLEMING As the Covid 19 pandemic gripped the nation beverage alcohol retail bucked the negative economic trends surging at robust double digit rates Whiskies Bourbon shelves at Haskells in Minneapolis pictured showed strong growth from an already large base
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