Beer Marketer's Insights
Circle K directive to divisional mgrs in May to onboard hemp-based THC items if they seemed like sound biz oppy sent a shock wave thru D9 sector as a sign that even the most broadly targeted, conventional retailers now were ready to play. A few months later Target chain opened its doors to hemp-based Delta-9 bevs, at least in a handful of stores in Minn. If those two highly visible experiments pan out, industry players are betting that FOMO will bring a wave of other mainstream participants. (This article first appeared in sibling pub Beverage Business INSIGHTS.)
Żywiec Group, a subsidiary of Heineken, will close the Namysłów Brewery in Poland next yr, per a report in The Drinks Business. Each of the brewery's 100 employees will be receiving a compensation pkg, co assured. Żywiec bought the brewery in 2018 for $132 mil. Co cited "a declining beer market and rising costs and taxes." Beer volume has declined ~5% over past 5 yrs in Poland and this is second closing for Żywiec in the country as it announced in 2023 it was halting production at its Leżajsk brewery. While Żywiec is ready to move on, local officials in Namysłów hope to keep the facility going under a new brewer given it's been operating for centuries and is "the second-oldest continually-existing enterprise in Poland, behind only the Wieliczka salt mine," per report.
The first half was tuff enuf as Heineken USA shipments down high-singles, but in Q3 HUSA shipments drop got even steeper. "Volume down in the mid-teens," the co reported this morn. That's "reflecting distributor stock adjustments and a tough beer market" which "disproportionately impacted core consumers of Heineken and Dos Equis," Heineken added. Meanwhile, Heineken 0.0 depletions grew for 24th consecutive qtr, but at a sharply slower rate. Depletions up low-single digits, following first half up mid-teens. Heineken USA volume down 8.7% yr-to-date thru Oct 5 in Circana multi-outlet + convenience. HUSA is currently having regional distrib meetings about its 2026 plans. Each of Molson Coors and Boston Beer also expected to report big drops in Q3. And Constellation shipments dropped nearly 9%, 6 pts steeper than STRs in similar period Jun-Aug. Net-net, total beer industry shipments got whacked in Q3 too.
The march of HPP tolling continues, now in Carolinas. High-pressure-processing equipment purveyor Hiperbaric said it's partnered with new service provider going by Bevara HPP to install Hiperbaric 300 system at 48K-sq-ft plant in North Wilkesboro, NC, that's first dedicated offering in state with view to servicing food/bevcos in region spanning Southeast. The Hiperbaric 300 system is rated at 3,700 lbs per hr tho Bevara plans to hit 5,000 lbs per hr using system's modular design. The plant, due to be running in early 2026, will offer HPP tolling, packaging, labeling, cold storage and logistical support services to customers in NC, SC, Virginia, Tenn, Kentucky and Indiana, per announcement.
Circle K directive to divisional mgrs in May to onboard hemp-based THC items if they seemed like sound biz oppty sent a shock wave thru D9 sector as a sign that even the most broadly targeted, conventional retailers now were ready to play (BBI, May 30). A few months later Target chain opened its doors to hemp-based Delta-9 bevs, at least in a handful of stores in Minn (BBI, Oct 10). If those two highly visible experiments pan out, industry players are betting that FOMO will bring a wave of other mainstream participants.
With its "all-weather model," Coca-Cola continues to cruise thru turbulent global environment, reporting solid top and bottom lines in Q3 tho volume growth proved harder to come by. Meanwhile, with archrival PepsiCo under fire from some investors for its disinterest in considering bottler refranchising, KO put the last major piece of its red system into outside hands with deal for Coca-Cola HBC (the old Hellenic Bottling) to pick up Africa territory for $2.6 bil after demonstrating strong performance in Egypt and Nigeria. Following Jul move to sell 40% stake in India franchise to Jubilant Bhartia Group, it leaves soda giant with "clear line of sight" to concluding decade-old refranchising process with just a few pockets like Malaysia and Singapore still to do, as chmn/CEO James Quincey told investors this morning. As a closely watched Dow Jones component, KO's progress report contributed to renewed rally on Wall Street today as reassurance to investors that the world's consumers by and large are going about their spending business. Indeed, he said volume picked up toward close of qtr in Sep after sluggish start in Jul and Aug. Shares rose 4% in trading today on the Big Board.
Just added to a stellar speaker lineup at the 2025 Beer Insights Seminar, come hear from Brian Feiro, Molson Coors' President of US Sales, now overseeing non-alc and spirits sales teams too. Brian rounds out a wide-ranging program featuring top execs and leading growth companies in a time of rapid change. The Seminar is coming right up Nov 9-10 in New York City, and the meeting agenda is now available, so sign up today to reserve your spot!
Tho he's long been off the court, these days Allen Iverson is crossing over into THC bevs. The NBA hall-of-famer's line of Iverson craft THC sodas - created in partnership with Viola cannabis brand founded by former NBA player Al Harrington and produced by Horticulture Co - is set for a broad rollout in approved Circle K mkts as the c-store operator delves deeper into D9 bevs, per announcement this morn.
The challenging year for RNDC took a sad turn over the weekend upon news that interim ceo/prexy Robert (Bob) Hendrickson had died suddenly at age 65 on Fri, Oct 17. Bob had been with RNDC for nearly 40 yrs. After serving as coo for 15 yrs, Bob took an advisory role at RNDC in 2024 but was then chosen to lead co following resignation of prior ceo Nick Mehall this past Feb. Just a few months later in early Jun, it was Bob who made stunning video announcement that RNDC was pulling out of California. "We had no path to profitability," Bob said at time.
In the face of unthinkable challenges, "clarity of purpose," "communication" and a "resilient" nature drove Eagle Brand Sales' owner Sue McCollum to successfully battle some of the largest liquor cos, fend for herself and her family's biz and expand into one of the largest female-owned and led beer distribs in the country. Sue shared her remarkable story with a room full of 300 attendees for the BREW (Building Relationships & Empowering Women) conference following NBWA's annual convention in Vegas last week. She referenced these lessons learned and many more along the way, "connect[ing] the dots" (referencing a famous Steve Jobs quote) from her upbringing in Buffalo to present day.