Non-alcoholic surge? More like a drop in the bucket.

Non-alcoholic beer category remains a drop in beer's bucket

Despite talk of a non-alcoholic beer 'surge,' the segment still only accounts for 0.51% of all beer sold. Granted, that represents a $4.1 million gain in sales since January 2020, but there is still only anecdotal evidence that non-alcoholic beer is the next big thing in beer. “It is news of examples, not news of data,” says Lester Jones, chief economist at NBWA.

Stella Artois will be brewed in the US

Anheuser-Busch announced today that production of Stella Artois will move to the company's U.S. breweries. The transition is projected to be complete by fall 2021. This move is part of Anheuser-Busch's $1 billion investment in U.S. production facilities. Their U.S. Chief Sales Officer, Brendan Whitworth, predicts that Stella Artois will remain a premium product.

Heineken to cut 8,000 jobs as it moves beyond beer

The COVID-19 pandemic hammered Heineken's sales, and as a result, the company is cutting 8,000 jobs and trying to "move beyond beer." CEO Dolf van den Brink said, "The impact of the pandemic on our business was amplified by our on-trade and geographic exposure." The company is looking at non-alcoholic beverages and hard seltzers as areas for future growth.

Private label growth in grocery

Brad Studer, the senior director of The Kroger Company's private label, says it's time for grocery stores to put more effort into their private brands. In the wake of the pandemic, consumers have embraced the trend of eating at home, which means it is the perfect time to punch up private label portfolios. “Private brands are becoming a behemoth of the grocery industry, even more so as a result of the pandemic, which has driven more and more customers to try private brands — in some cases by choice and in others by circumstances, with the pantry-loading that occurred early on,” Studer said.

TODAY'S NEWS

Non-alcoholic beer category remains a drop in beer's bucket

Stella Artois will be brewed in the US

Heineken to cut 8,000 jobs as it moves beyond beer

Private label growth in grocery

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