Key U.S. wholesalers tell SND they’re closely monitoring trends as we get deeper into the holiday season, with consumers remaining cautious in their purchasing patterns but still willing to spend in certain occasions and categories.
“The quality and price proposition continues to be a critical driver in both wine and spirits,” says Kevin Roberts, chief commercial officer at Breakthru Beverage Group. “Within spirits, the $20-$50 price range is where most of the growth is coming from. For the wine category, we see consistent trending in the $15-$19.99 range as well as the $25-$50 retail range.”
“Across the off-premise, we’ve seen demand soften as the year has gone on,” says Marc Sachs, CEO of Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC). “Consumers are still engaged, but they’re making more careful choices, which is understandable given the broader financial pressures. The on-premise tells a different story. Spirits, in particular, continue to post healthy growth, and that momentum has actually picked up over the last few weeks in many respects. Wine is more mixed, but we’re seeing pockets where it’s performing well. What this tells me is that when people go out, they’re still looking for an experience—something special, something elevated.”
“Retailers are managing inventory levels tightly in this environment,” notes Zach Poelma, senior vice president, commercial intelligence, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “That has a more significant impact on brands that may be less familiar to the consumer, such as new innovation that hasn’t proven it can turn quickly yet or more expensive items that traditionally do well during the holiday season for gifting.
“While on-premise is declining overall, trends have improved,” Poelma continues. “We’re seeing the strongest trends in the more affordable sub-channels like Quick Service and Casual Dining, while Fine Dining continues to underperform. But we’re cautiously optimistic that Fine Dining and Polished Casual Dining trends have also bottomed out and will begin to stabilize and then improve.”
“Consumers are still willing to spend, but they’re being much more deliberate about where they place their dollars,” says Sachs. “In spirits, the very top of the market has felt the most pressure. Ultra-premium has slowed noticeably. But interestingly, the tier right below that—super-premium—continues to grow. That tells me premiumization isn’t going away; it’s just shifting.
“Wine has its challenges overall, but the higher price points remain more resilient,” Sachs continues. “You still see strong interest in quality—still wines over $20 and the higher-end sparkling wines are performing better than the category as a whole. Additionally, we’re seeing real momentum in wine cocktails and non-alcoholic wines, which speaks to changing occasions and new consumer needs.”
Poelma emphasizes that the sweet spot for spirits continues to be brands priced in the middle of the overall category. “This is typically items priced around $20-$35 for a 750-ml. bottle. Across total spirits they have gained 1-2 points of market share during the last quarter, as consumers in the value segment continue to trade up, but then the ultra-premium and luxury categories experience some trading down. Whiskey and Tequila are performing the strongest here.”
We’ll have more from the leading wholesalers on the holiday selling environment and 2026 outlook in the coming days.
