DtC alcohol industry in the U.S. - statistics & facts

Direct-to-consumer (DtC) sales of alcohol are those sales which skip the usual three-tiered system of alcohol selling in the United States with the producer instead selling to the consumer with no intervening parties. In almost all states, some form of a three-tiered system exists in which producers (wine makers, brewers, and distillers) sell to wholesalers who then sell to retailers, from whom consumers may purchase alcohol. Proponents of the three-tiered system claim that it ensures enforcement of tax collection and age restrictions while DtC advocates maintain that while these are more complicated in a DtC system they are not insurmountable challenges. Furthermore, DtC sales offer greater access and potentially lower prices to consumers as well as higher profits for producers.

Wine

Currently, who can and can't ship directly to consumers is extremely one-sided. Forty-seven states allow DtC selling from wineries while only 12 permit the same for breweries and a meager nine for distilleries. The regional nature of wine growing makes DtC selling an appealing choice but it wasn't until the Granholm v. Heald decision in the Supreme Court that the DtC wine market really took off. The court found that the laws in New York and Michigan that permitted in-state DtC wine sales but restricted sales from out-of-state wineries were unconstitutional. While this opened the market for wineries, other alcohol producers were left behind.

Beer and spirits

Laws that permit wine DtC sales are specifically written for wine, so breweries and distilleries must lobby on their own behalf. The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented interest to e-commerce and the alcohol industry was no exception. Even after pandemic restrictions have been lifted consumers are still curious about DtC sales. A recent survey of spirits drinkers found more than three-quarters supported distillers being granted the same selling permissions as wineries. A survey of craft beer drinkers revealed that nearly all of those surveyed would purchase DtC beer once a month or more, while nearly a third were interested in weekly shipments.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Jan Conway, Mar 14, 2024

Key insights

Online alcohol revenue in the U.S.
14.95bn USD
Penetration rate of online wine sales in the U.S.
8.6%
Number of states that allow DtC spirits sales
9
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