Analysts from RBC Capital Markets noted that shoppers are beginning to trade down in the cigarette and beer categories, although spending habits among high earners are expected to be unchanged.

Similarly, craft beer sales at grocers are down, while business at bars and restaurants is up. That said, nesting categories, such as furniture and furnishings, are also up. Sales in the category were up 3.8% YoY and 25.7% compared to 2019, per the SpendingPulse, which suggests shoppers continue to invest in their homes.

Beer firms Molson Coors, Constellation Brands, and Anheuser-Busch InBev recently posted positive earnings, suggesting that inflation concerns aren’t hitting all categories equally. Fashion brands seem to have largely benefited as consumers update their wardrobes to reflect busier post-pandemic social calendars. Case in point: Doc Martens posted 43% growth in pretax profits in its most recent quarter.

But over time, we saw that the market share for independent companies skyrocketed, which resulted in ale bypassing lagger as a top-selling type of beer on the platform, for example. Additionally, Gen Z consumers have been experimenting the most with new brands since March. The study also found that more consumers are buying alcohol online.

Sales of alcoholic beverages grew across all categories, with premixed cocktails and cooler sales seeing an astonishing 84% increase when comparing sales from pre-pandemic February 2020 against February 2021. So this St. Patrick’s Day, consumers may be replacing their Guinness with a spiked seltzer. More like this:. Article: How retailers can start planning for the 2021 holiday season.

In our category especially, it’s not just drinking the beer; it’s the smell, the aroma. There’s a lot we can do there, and a lot of other companies are starting to see that as well. What are your key focuses for H2? With the return to—I want to say normalcy—being with people, there are so many opportunities for communication, for innovation.