Samuel Adams Sales Decline

I find little yella pils more to style than boston lager. I never would have guessed it to be a bohemian pils.

 

If you don't like lagers, and think Sam Adams is known mostly for lagers, then it's unfair for you to say that they don't do any styles great, now isn't it?

PS: Noble Pils is great in my opinion and it wipes the floor with any BMC's cash cows.

 

Too many other choices on the market. Sam Adams is WAAY down in my list of beers to buy when I go shopping...

 

I believe I did make a misstep there, but I meant more along the lines of I never hear of their beers being discussed here for being good examples of that style, or even good beers overall. I don't even see them being discussed as people's go-to or old standbys. I realize I can't truly judge them due to a lack of tasting their beers, but it is just my overall impression as a new comer to beer that didn't go through the so-called Sam Adams gateway to craft beer.

 

The only Sams beer that was good was the revolution rye. I refuse to buy their products because you find a beer that they make that you like and it only comes in 12 packs. Its stupid and there are tons of brewers that dont pull crap like that. Give me the beer i want or lose a customer. It is that simple.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't doubt if some of the Sam Adams sales slump was due to more craft options being available in more places.

 

Can't say I'm surprised, but they will be just fine. They convert people from BMC which I will always appreciate, but eventually people take the next step to trying more interesting or risky brews. There will always be more people to pull from the BMC market, however.

As the article also says, Winter to Spring has to be their weakest time period. Those are their weakest seasonals. I wouldn't be surprised if their sales dropped in this quarter every single year. They need to just stop juggling through weak Spring attempts and really shake things up with a Saison or something like that.

 

I still enjoy Boston Lager and have enjoyed a few of their seasonals, but Sam Adams is rarely the most interesting beer at the bar these days.

 

"Gateway" is about as positive as I can say about their mediocre stuff. Kind of like saying that "she's got a great personaliity."

 

They need to make more cutting edge stuff. Barrel age some shit, imperial some things, sour stuff... Do what is trending, it will make a more successful business.

 

Double Agent IPL is one of my top 3 new beers of 2013.
I'm a fan of many beers from Sam Adams.

 

Huge fan of Sam Adams. Not gonna debate it with you.

That said. I see Sam slowing ever so slightly because of their saturation in the craft segment(Q1). I believe through exposure, ad monies and such 'evil' practices, Sam will begin to chip away at BMC consumers. Finding growth. BMC is spending a lot of money to stop there own slides. Resulting in a slower transition of BMC consumer to craft(we will leave wine & liquors aggressive campaigns out). As craft exposure expands and large 'craft' companies saturate the market (Sam, Sierra, New Belgium, and a bunch of creepers!)(Yuengling chipping away as true family macro, sorry I do not see them as craft, but much respect) we will see an ebb and flow. It is a natural pattern of solid growth.

With that said. They enter Q2 with Porcher Rocker 12's, and cans. Did I mention they now have cans? They will recover nicely Q2, and stay on track for another year of growth. This is also accepting the fact that Boston Beer's other companies become more relevant and their cider branch is untapped. Not a bad thing to be diverse.

 

Caution: Industry sales professional here, although I don't work for BBC.

It's been a rough first quarter for all big breweries, with anything from increased personal income taxes to crazy weather patterns. Regarding seasonals, most everyone's Spring seasonals are the weakest, and yet Alpine seemed to do alright. What didn't do nearly as well (as was anticipated) and is categorized as a "Second Seasonal" for sku terms was New Albion. From what I could tell in the marketplace, the story (wonderful and heartfelt) wasn't relayed well enough to the consumer.

Also, as more "Western-oriented" big craft brewers expand eastwards, that could be a potential for a slight downturn in business in more heavily saturated markets. You know who I'm speaking of.

Plus, being so large a contender, there's always pricing pressure not just from other big crafts like NBB and SNBC, but also from the import market as well, especially in 12pk bottle pricing and, in certain markets, draft. Stella Artois, Modelo Especial, Corona, XX continue to do well and Heineken is going through "growing pains," literally with their new bottle.

Also, you have the nationwide launch of GI from ABI, as well as numerous offerings from Tenth & Blake (Third Shift, Batch 19, Weinhard's, Redd's) and all of these things tend to grab up either draft lines at chains or space in "ad boxes" at retail. Don't count out ABIs strategic alliances with airports and venues in their push with GI.

In some areas, Lager seems to be stabilizing, which is a good sign for the industry in general because no craft brewer wants to see the flagship concept die. BBC has refreshed graphics, priorities and I think are positioning themselves for a positive 2013. 2012 was merely a year of adjustment, with quadrupling package skus and a crazy amount of draft offerings.

Oh, and cans.

I don't want to be a cheerleader per se, I just thought I'd offer some industry insight. Plus, I just don't like to see them get unfairly knocked around because of the tea thing or someone doesn't like Latitude 48 so all Sam Adams beer sucks etc...

 

I respect the hell out of Sam Adams for what they have done for craft, but their beers bore the hell out of me anymore.

 

In many places I go eat Sam Adams is the best they have. Although I still pass on it bc it's like 4.75 a pint. Florida, this upcoming year is getting like 4 new breweries coming in, starting out with draught first then bottles (founders, new Belgium, sixpoint and fat heads)...this will cause me to not buy much SA, not bc I don't like it but bc there are better options. I love Sam Adams and new Belgium, but when there is a better beer available, I'm buying it over some Sam Adams makes.

Not to threadshit but is new Belgium considered the same as SA? I love their shift pale lager and anxiously await when it is available to buy in Florida. Their ranger ipa is another great one. I see people lump them
In with SA a lot but didn't know if they were at the same level.

 

Possibly. But I do think the average BMC drinker when they want something "fancy" is gonna go straight for something from Sam Adams. Hopefully you're right and it's not an increase in BMC purchasing and more distribution among craft breweries.

 

Help me out here. What is it in this report that gives cause to post "Sales Decline"?

 

If your flagship beers start to occupy that stepping ladder market space between macro and craft, you're going to lose some respect for some reason as a craft brewer. Boston Lager, Fat Tire, Spotted Cow here in WI. Because of their drinkability and accessibility, they start to occupy the same market space as stuff like Leinenkugel's and Blue Moon and other "crafty" stuff. This causes beer people to look at those breweries unfavorably, thinking that they're reaching down into a lower class of beer drinker which is currently occupied with beers from crappy breweries trying to reach up into the craft space.

 

I think this is the primary reason for SA's downturn. Craft beer drinkers tend to seek out variety, and so the increase variety available means the available demand is spread thinner. Most of the breweries are trying to expand their distribution footprint so they're increasing sales despite having more shelf competition (especially the really hyped breweries like Founders), but Sam Adams was already a nationwide/worldwide brand so there's nowhere to expand to and/or benefit from hype.

I do feel that their attempt to make 67,000 kinds of beer is probably misguided too - SN has weathered the same storm much better-off than BBC primarily by sticking to what they do well and not trying to making everything under the sun.

 

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unsure if this was sarcasm because they have literally done everything you listed. Are they the most experimental brewery? Obviously far from it. But people who say they only do Boston Lager and the seasonals need to get out more. I love what Sam Adams does for the scene, and no one matches their availability, and few match their pricepoint.