Chicago, IL – Mar. 25, 2021 – New data from On Premise research and insights consultancy CGA has revealed strong performance numbers for wine, deeming it the most ordered category for takeout alcohol throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021 alone, 52% of consumers ordering takeout alcohol included wine in their order.
CGA’s findings, sourced from their online PurchaseTrak tool, has identified the key occasions, varietals, packaging formats, and cities that continue to drive momentum in the wine category. As the On Premise continues to reopen across the U.S. – – and with 47% of current On Premise visitation being driven by food-led occasions – – CGA predicts a continued strong performance for wine.
OCCASIONS: A STRONG OPPORTUNITY FOR WINE
In looking at recent occasion-based performance, CGA’s PurchaseTrak data shows that celebratory occasions are proving particularly important in the return to the On Premise. In the build-up to the week of Valentine’s Day, sparkling wine orders were up +6% in the week to February 13 v the previous week, while French Champagne orders were +60% higher vs the following week.
DOMESTIC WINES DOMINATE IN THE U.S.
In terms of outlet-level purchasing dynamics, CGA’s PurchaseTrak data revealed that country of origin plays a significant part in determining what is stocked in On Premise outlets. While Champagne orders were up for Valentine’s day, French wines accounted for just 3.4% of all wine volume ordered over the last 12 weeks. Outlet-level wine ordering is largely dominated by domestic wines, which account for 71% of all U.S. wine volume, followed by Italian (14%) and New Zealand wines (3.5%).
VARIETAL POPULARITY BY LOCATION
Within key cities in Florida, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the most popular varietals, accounting for nearly two-fifths of volume across Orlando (19%, 19%), Miami (16%, 18%) and Tampa (21%, 17%). In other key cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Denver, sparkling wine dominates, accounting for a quarter of all volume (26%, 25%, 23%, respectfully) in each market. These cities have experienced strong growth in the share of sparkling over the last year, with share of volume having increased significantly in like-for-like outlets across Denver (+11pp), Atlanta (+10pp) and Chicago (+8pp).
PACKAGING AND SKU DYNAMICS
Regarding SKU size, CGA’s PurchaseTrak data showed that bottle is by far the most ordered format, accounting for 89% of wine volume ordered over the last 12 weeks. This is then followed by box (10%), keg (1%), and smaller SKU’s such as cans, cartons, and PET (1%). Within the bottle SKU, the data showed a range of sizes, with the standard bottle (750ml) accounting for over three quarters of all bottle volume, followed by magnums (1.5L) at 13%, and splits (187ml) at 4%.
ENABLING WINE BRANDS BIG AND SMALL
Commenting on the latest PurchaseTrak data and how this can be used by wine suppliers and operators, Client Solutions Director for North America & Latam, Matthew Crompton said: ‘With food occasions largely dominating consumers early revisits to the On Premise channel, it is important to understand all dynamics within the Wine category. Our brand new PurchaseTrak tool tracks even the smallest of brands, alongside varietals and SKU sizes, meaning we can see what has been ordered, when it was ordered, and where. It’s really encouraging to see these numbers for wine, and the strong performance of sparkling variants show that celebratory occasions and consumer enthusiasm are returning in the On Premise channel.’
ABOUT CGA offers the world’s leading drink brands and retailers a host of unique measurement and analytic tools. Their best-in-class proprietary datasets combined with their world-leading, On Premise consultancy credentials enable their customers to forge new and differentiated approaches to winning in the most valuable and desirable On Premise channel.
PurchaseTrak is an analytic platform from CGA that provides the industry’s most rapid and granular view of purchasing dynamics within the U.S. bar and restaurant landscape. As the latest addition to CGA’s suite of market-leading solutions, PurchaseTrak will present U.S. beverage and alcohol suppliers with regularly updated, SKU- and pack-level purchasing insights within key On Premise markets and outlet segments.
To learn more about PurchaseTrak or CGA’s data and insight capabilities, email Matthew Crompton via matthew.crompton.consultant@
