Hopes of a strong summer for beer sales are beginning to fade as most signs are pointing to flat or down sales for the summer months. The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) has just released the Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) for August 2024, which shows “a downshift in distributor sentiment to a more cautious outlook for the beer industry heading into the end of summer,” the NBWA said in a statement.
Imports had the highest index in August 2024 with a reading of 55, but that was still six points lower than the August 2023 reading of 61.
An index of 50 or greater in a segment means volumes in that segment are expanding and an index less than 50 indicates that volumes in that segment are contracting.
The craft index at 23 for August 2024 continues to signal contraction and is twelve points lower than the August 2023 reading at 35.
The August BPI reading for beer overall of 40 “follows a trend for the post-Covid marketplace; the past three years have all seen August BPI readings in the 40s, according to the NBWA.
You can see the NBWA Press Release and BPI reading for all categories here.