The Beer and Hard Beverage category is BIG, generating over $26¹ billion in sales in the C-Store channel, making it the #1² edible category in the channel. In fact, two-thirds³ of all Beer and Hard Beverage trips occur in C-Stores, contributing 55%⁴ of the category’s off-premise sales.

The Beer and Hard Beverage category is RESILIENT, having delivered strong results over the past five years, with a +5% CAGR⁵ and $5.7 billion⁵ in absolute growth. But Beer and Hard Beverages aren’t just driving strong dollar growth; they are also supporting healthy unit trends (+9%, outpacing Total Store by 12 points)⁶ and larger baskets (43% larger than baskets without Beer and Hard Beverages)⁷. Additionally, the category has achieved these strong results while delivering value to shoppers, with price increases 6pts⁸ lower than the total store average.

The Beer and Hard Beverage Category is experiencing BALANCED GROWTH. It has seen volatility, including the rapid rise, fall, and stabilization of malt seltzers, the emergence of spirit-based Cocktails and Seltzers, the rise of Premiumization within Lagers, and the return to growth for Value Lagers. However, more recently, the category has stabilized, with an average segment share change of just 0.2⁹ compared to a 1.6-point⁹ share change in 2020.