
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today, the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) released the Beer Purchasers' Index (BPI) for October 2020, and the data shows early signs of settling back to normal.
The Total Beer Purchasers' Index for October 2020 rose to 76 from 70 for October 2019.
The "at-risk inventory” index for total beer (inventory at risk of going out-of-code in the next 30 days) continues to record all-time low readings at 21 for October 2020 compared to 46 in October 2019.
NBWA Chief Economist Lester Jones explained, "While still significantly higher, the gap between October 2020 and October 2019 is much smaller than we have seen since May. Beer distributors continue to take an aggressive stance in their ordering to minimize out-of-stocks and restock inventories."
BPI is the only forward-looking indicator for distributors to measure expected beer demand. The index surveys beer distributors’ purchases across different segments and compares them to previous years. A reading greater than 50 indicates the segment is expanding, while a reading below 50 indicates the segment is contracting.
Looking across the segments for October:
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