With the pandemic largely shifting alcohol sales from restaurants and bars to grocery and liquor stores, the world’s leading alcohol retailer, Costco, proved to be well-positioned for the situation. Consumers across the globe flocked in to stock up on their favorite beverages, boosting last year’s alcohol revenues more than 25 percent to $5.5 billion.
Based on sales figures, wine remains a perennial best-seller at the big box store, accounting for between 40 – 50 percent of alcohol sales, as reported by MarketWatch. Spirits (30 percent) and beer (20) split the remaining total, with hard seltzers and RTDs performing exceedingly well.
Among Costco’s best-selling wines are its Kirkland Signature DOCG Prosecco and Kirkland Signature Ti Point Sauvignon Blanc, both of which list for approximately $7.
Vodka was the most popular spirit, with Kirkland Signature American Vodka and Tito’s Handmade Vodka topping the sales chart.
Corona was the beer of choice for shoppers, while Kirkland Signature Hard Seltzer was the best-selling in the category.
Costco has boosted sales by staking a claim in the price-to-value category with its Kirkland branded vodka, whiskey, gin, rum, and tequila. The brand’s signature French Vodka, for example, retails for $20 per 1.75-liter bottle.
Costco’s relative dominance in the sector derives from economies of scale that allow the firm to negotiate favorably with distillers and distributors, and lower than average markups (14 percent instead of an industry norm of 50 percent) provide a price point that is attractive to consumers.
These facts helped make the warehouse store the largest retailer in the world for premium beverages, including The Macallan, Johnnie Walker Blue, and Dom Pérignon Champagne, according to Forbes.
While the house-branded items and the blue-chip labels are generally always available, other offerings rotate regularly, and the treasure hunt style approach that Costco utilizes means that rare beer, wine, and spirits can be found while perusing the aisles.
This combination of adventure and value helped Costco surpass the 100 million member mark in 2020, and if the past is any indication of the future, the company will likely continue to put pressure on the competition with its use of savvy retail strategies and commitment to quality.
