ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Raising the Bar The c-store industry embraces wine and liquor as sales rise due to the pandemic By Kathleen Furore
IT’S BEEN A SPIRITED YEAR for
wine and liquor
in the convenience channel. In February, Savannah, Ga.-based Parker’s debuted Parker’s Spirits, the company’s first-ever liquor-focused banner. The new store, adjacent to an existing Parker’s convenience store in Pooler, Ga., stocks premier wines, craft beers, collectible bourbons, and other packaged beverages. In April, Casey’s General Stores Inc., headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa, developed a single barrel bourbon in partnership with Buffalo Trace Distillery. Available in 375-milliliter bottles, it is part of the retailer’s plan to innovate around its beer, wine and spirits offerings. In mid-June, Irving, Texas-based 7 Eleven Inc. added to its private brands portfolio with the launch of Plot + Point chardonnay and pinot grigio, packaged in Tetra Pak
containers. And just two months later, the company teamed up with Minibar Delivery to deliver beer and wine — national brands, as well as 7-Eleven’s own portfolio. The collaboration kicked off in Florida, Texas and Virginia, with plans to expand to additional markets later this year. “Over the past year, wine and liquor have been strong categories for 7-Eleven stores,” reports Julie Trapp-Clark, director of alcohol for 7-Eleven. “Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages and innovative alcohol flavors are driving growth in the category and bringing new customers into our stores.”
A Dive Into the Data While hard seltzers, beer and RTD malt beverages have been getting much buzz during the pandemic, wine and liquor have proven resilient in the convenience channel. According to the 2021 Convenience Store News Industry Report, average sales per store in the category increased by 32 percent last year. Wine and liquor’s share of overall in-store sales at U.S. convenience stores rose from 1.55 percent in 2019 to 1.97 percent in 2020.
Single-serve wine products are up more than 20 percent at 7-Eleven Inc.
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