Dive Brief:
- Giant Food Stores has partnered with Pennsylvania craft brewing company Roy Pitz on a special beer collaboration, according to Breweries in Pennsylvania.
- The beer, “Hazy Little Giant," has a cloudy appearance and includes large amounts of Citra, Galaxy and Simcoe. which gives the beer aromas of grapefruit, strawberries and tropical fruit. The beer is set for release May 1.
- Hazy Little Giant will sell for $10.99 for a four-pack, and for each purchase Giant will donate $1 to the Chambersburg Salvation Army. The beer will be sold at 103 Giant locations in Pennsylvania.
Dive Insight:
Carlisle, Pennsylvania-based Giant Food Stores said its collaboration with Roy Pitz has been in the works “for a while,” but its decision to launch a new beer during COVID-19 appears strategic. The retailer could have held off its launch until the outbread had subsided, but alcoholic beverage sales surged 55% in the third week of March compared to the same time last year.
Sales of larger 24- and 30-packs of beer outpaced smaller packs like the ones Hazy Little Giant will be sold in as shoppers stockpile suppliers and look to make fewer trips to the grocery store. But if Giant makes this beer available to customers who are shopping online, the retailer could see strong sales right from launch. Many grocers have pushed out projects that have been in the works to accommodate the increase in grocery sales. Raley’s opened its 55,000-square-foot flagship store on April 15 and Sprouts also is also moving forward with its plans to open three new stores.
Many breweries were forced to shut their doors during the pandemic because they’re not an essential business and many are dumping unsold beer. Since authorities started issuing stay-at-home orders, breweries have faced a 65% decline in on-site beer sales and draft beer sales have fallen about 95%, according to a survey from the Brewers Association.
