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As beer stumbled its way thru Oct, $$ down 4.5% for 4 wks thru Nov 2 in Circana multi-outlet + convenience data, craft shuffled along, -5.2%, barely behind the total category. So the segment cut its yr-to-date share loss almost in half for last 4 wks, down 0.08 share to 10.21. Shed even less share of volume, -0.05, tho still down 6.5%. That excludes non-alc entries, recall, suggesting craft beer + craft NA collectively held share basically flat for 4 wks. Craft ain't driving the NA bus this yr (Mich Ultra Zero took the wheel), but Athletic's still posting low-double-digit growth and some sizable craft players are keeping up with NA's ongoing double-digit gains, +19% for 4 wks and +22% YTD. New Belgium Back to Gaining, Sierra Back to Flat; Big AB Brand Fams Improve Last 4 wks saw better trends for some of the segment's biggest suppliers and brand fams, too. Tho New Belgium family has been soft in all this yr, it grew $$ 0.7% for 4 wks in Circana MULC. Kirin-Lion improved the brand fam's YTD $$ gain in c-stores by 2 pts to +3.8% and slashed its decline in food channels from down high singles to -2.6% for 4 wks. After slipping into negative territory in late summer, Sierra Nevada's total biz held flat for 4 wks, including solid 2.4% gain in c-stores and improvement to down just 0.2% in food stores.Can't say the same for many other top craft suppliers. Sapporo USA (including both Stone and Sapporo brand fams) turned positive to +1.2% for 4 wks, while Monster Brewing's craft portfolio improved to +2.3%. But Mahou USA is still off mid-singles and Gambrinus is still down high singles. At same time, Artisanal Brewing Ventures softened from down low-singles YTD to down mid-singles for 4 wks, Firestone softened from down mid to down high singles and Tilray slipped further from -14% to -18%.Instead, look to AB's lead craft brand fams for better recent trends. Goose Island now on par with Mahou USA and up double digits so far this yr and +12.5% for 4 wks. It's the #1 craft share gainer YTD among top 10 craft fams, AB comms separately noted to CBN while also announcing Goose's first-ever 10oz 4pk bottles of Bourbon County Stout. Elysian is almost as big as Firestone or Sapporo USA in this data and turned on the heat recently, from up slightly to a solid +6.3% gain in Oct. Kona softened in this data, but Wicked Weed jumped 20% for 4 wks, while Karbach clawed its way back to flattish.11 Major IPAs Take Up All the Air in C-Stores, $$ +13%, +3.6 Share to 31.1 for 4 Wks Craft continues to outperform in convenience stores, posting identical 4-wk and YTD results: -0.3% by $$, -2.1% by volume, gaining share of beer by both measures. The segment's 30 largest brands are doing even better, +3.6% for 4 wks as a group. But zero in on 11 top IPAs, collectively accelerating from +10.9% YTD thru 11/2 to +12.8% for 4 wks. They gained 3.6 share of craft $$ in c-stores together to 31.1, adding almost $4.4 mil in sales to craft for 4 wks, while all other craft brands declined 5.2%, $4.7 mil.This group of 11 big IPAs is led by a pair of New Belgium Voodoo Rangers, natch. Original Imperial IPA and Juice Force remain top-2 craft brands in c-stores by $$, still up double digits, +1.6 share of craft $$ to 13.8, towering over the rest of the segment. Tropic Force is part of the crew too, even as it slowed way down to +6%, still at #7 craft brand in the channel and 2.4 share. So the trio still holds over 16 share of the segment in c-stores on its own.Sierra's Hazy Little Thing is #4 brand here, improving to +6% for 4 wks, +0.2 share to 3.9. It's still got at least a 1-pt lead over a pair of AB brands: Elysian Space Dust (+15%) and Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug (+22%). Further down the list, Wicked Weed Pernicious picked up some more share on a 19% 4-wk gain. Lagunitas has a pair of brands in the group as well, with both its flagship IPA and A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' growin' solidly in the channel for this period, +8.6% and +20%, respectively. At #14 craft brand in c-stores by $$, top Monster craft brand, Cigar City Jai Alai grew 10% for 4wk. And rounding out the list, Georgetown Bodhizafa really came on strong lately, revving up to +32%, back at #24 YTD but barely outside the top-20 for 4 wks.

Top Brands Help Craft Shed Less Share for 4 Wks; NBB Better; 11 IPAs 1/3 of C-Store $$, +13%

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