Somber Spirits Head for an Unpredictable Year

Since September, the rate of spirits growth has declined steadily each month. In the four weeks to Oct. 7, dollar value of spirits increased 4.4%. In the four weeks to Nov. 4 and Dec. 2, dollar sales were up 3.4% and 2.8%, respectively, according to IRI scan data.In the long-term, however, the rate of spirits growth has held relatively steady. In the 52 weeks to Oct. 7, dollar sales of spirits grew 2.1%. The same is true for the 52