San Juan, Puerto Rico – As the holiday season approaches, retailers in Puerto Rico are reporting significant increases in alcoholic beverage sales, with experts predicting a 20% to 30% boost in this category.
Eduardo Marxuach, president of Supermercados Econo, noted that "our volume is now increasing between 25% and 30%, which drives up dollar sales. And a lot of this is due to products like champagne, for example, which is very popular during this time."
Despite a 5.6% price increase in alcoholic beverages compared to 2023, according to the latest Consumer Radiography study by the Chamber of Marketing, Industry, and Food Distribution (MIDA), Marxuach maintained that sales increases were driven by both price and volume.
Simón Desvarieux, director of global brand marketing at CC1, agreed, noting that while sales fluctuations vary by product, overall, alcoholic beverage sales are increasing by up to 30%.
He highlighted the recent launch of Ron Capó, a premium 10-year-old dark rum by singer Pedro Capó in collaboration with CC1, which is expected to be popular during the holiday season.
"Consumers are becoming more knowledgeable and selective, and everything related to aged rum and whiskey is growing. While white rum is still consumed, it's the aged rums that are seeing the most growth," Desvarieux said.
Iván Merced, Food Merchandiser Manager at Supermax, confirmed that they have also "noticed a trend of increased sales during the month of November, both in the beer category and other liquors."
Merced also mentioned a significant increase in orders for holiday dinners through the SuperMax Online app, surpassing expectations and aligning with studies indicating that Puerto Ricans are cutting back on dining out.
This trend is supported by data from the 2024 Santa List study by the advertising agency Arteaga & Arteaga, which shows that 56% of Puerto Ricans plan to cut back on dining out this Christmas to adjust their budgets.
Econo's president Marxuach also noted the increasing number of restaurant closures this year, making dining out more expensive for consumers.
"It's becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to stretch their dollars with what's happening. We're seeing this at the grocery level, but we're also seeing it at the beverage level, which is leading this growth," Marxuach said.
According to market projections by Statista, national revenue (generated in supermarkets and convenience stores) in Puerto Rico's alcoholic beverage market is expected to reach $923 million in 2024.
Revenue from on-premise consumption, such as restaurants and bars, is projected to reach $752 million in 2024.
While alcoholic beverages continue to dominate the market, Félix Aponte, president of Supermercados Agranel, noted that the non-alcoholic beer segment is also growing, both in his supermarket and at the industry level.
This is supported by a recent report from Circana, which revealed that non-alcoholic beer sales in Puerto Rico grew from $3.8 million in 2023 to $4.9 million in 2024.
"Not only that, but there is also ongoing innovation in the non-alcoholic beverage category," said Aponte.
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