A new year marks the beginning of a new era for expanding demographics, increasing retailer traffic, and adding to your bottom line. United Brands Co. has taken a giant leap forward to grow the flavored malt beverage (FMB) category by introducing JOOSE 12-ounce glass bottles. The user-friendly, 12-ounce bottle lineup, now with 8.5% alcohol by…
Craft Sales Drive Beer
Following a solid 2009, the Brewers Association, the trade association representing the majority of U.S. brewing companies, reported strong 2010 numbers for small and independent craft brewers. Dollar sales were up 12% in the first half of 2010, compared to 9% growth during the same period in 2009. Volume of craft brewed beer sold grew…
Five High ABV Products
Introducing a great-tasting high ABV progressive adult beverage in a 23.5-ounce can, mike’s HARDER PUNCH. Launched in the fall of 2010 in two 8% ABV great varieties, mike’s HARDER FRUIT PUNCH and mike’s HARDER MANGO PUNCH are hard-hitting flavors your customers will reach for in the cooler door. New mike’s HARDER MANGO PUNCH offers a…
New York Bans Four Loko
The recent New York ban on Four Loko, a drink that contain 12% alcohol and as much caffeine as three cups of coffee, reportedly has many c-store owners and parents in the state breathing a sigh of relief. Four Loko, which is geared toward young adults, has been blamed for several deaths over the last…
Tennessee Mulls Wine in Grocery Stores
Tennessee is the latest state to debate selling wine at grocery stores. And it would appear the movement is gaining steam-25,000 Tennesseans have now registered with the “Red, White and Food” campaign to try and make it happen, Eyewitness News reported. Jarron Springer, president of the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association, told Eyewitness News,…
Alcoholic Beverage Customers Cautious
U.S. consumers remain somewhat cautious about their alcohol beverage spending, the Nielsen Company reported this month. Nielsen’s research revealed that a significant percentage of consumers claim they are going out less often now than before the economic downturn. Nearly half of consumers (47%) report going to bars or clubs less often, while an even greater…
Heineken Launches Summer Marketing Initiative
Heineken, the top-selling European import beer in the U.S., unveiled the details of its ‘Plug into Summer’ on-premise initiative that invites consumers to enjoy Heineken and Heineken Light through interactive music experiences that connect them to all that Heineken’s fully integrated off-the-chart “Plug into Summer” program has to offer. Heineken’s “Plug into Summer” program combines…
Sheetz Wins Beer Battle
Sheetz Inc. has once again won the right to sell beer at its Convenience Restaurant in Altoona, Pa., after this Wednesday’s ruling by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). “We are happy that the PLCB has decided to grant Sheetz the right to sell beer at our Altoona Convenience Restaurant,” said Stan Sheetz, president and…
Pepsi, Cheerwine Team Up On Fountain In The Carolinas
Now convenience stores carrying Pepsi on fountain in North Carolina and the Myrtle Beach, S.C., area can also offer Cheerwine -the unique, sparkling soft drink from Salisbury, N.C -which will be distributed by Pepsi Bottling Ventures (PBV) beginning in April. PBV’s statewide fountain distribution of Cheerwine marks a deepening distribution partnership between North Carolina’s two…
Strength in Numbers
Resilient, tough and tested. These are just a few of the words analysts and retailers alike used to describe the convenience store and petroleum industry over the past 12 months. With the economy suffering its most difficult period in some 80 years, convenience stores held up rather admirably considering how consumer confidence plunged and the…