For years, Americans couldn’t get enough of craft beer. New breweries seemed to appear everywhere – on street corners, in open fields and in converted warehouses – quickly becoming the go-to spots for a cold drink and a place to gather with friends.
But attitudes are shifting. As noted by Statista, many consumers are turning their attention to spirits and new varieties of flavored alcoholic beverages (another opportunity for label resellers), and younger consumers are increasingly interested in non-alcoholic beverages. Craft beer is also feeling the effects as consumers tighten their belts in the face of economic uncertainty.
As a result, we are starting to see a shift in the market. After years of steady growth, production leveled at 23.1 million barrels in 2024, and for the first time in years, more breweries are closing than opening.
What do label resellers – those whose businesses have benefitted from the steady, recurring revenue that craft beer labels have brought – do with this information? Innovate!
SKU Expansion = Label Expansion
Small breweries don’t win by outproducing macro brands. They win by out-marketing them – rolling out limited editions, collaborations, seasonal launches, non-alcoholic offerings and taproom exclusives. So help them do it! Every SKU means a new label, and even with the market shifting, hundreds of new products are hitting shelves every year.
This is where resellers can add real value. Anyone can sell labels. Innovative reseller partners sell launch programs instead. Create calendars of SKUs tied to brewing schedules, with labels delivered just in time new flavor introductions and seasonal drops. Position yourself not only as a vendor, but as a strategic partner fueling their growth.
Digital Production Fuels Innovation
Digital print production provides the flexibility your customers need to compete. Its speed and flexibility enable them to experiment without fear of waste or excess inventory. Short runs mean breweries can launch with
confidence, test consumer response with 500 or 1,000 labels, and scale up once demand is proven.
As the market continues to adjust, resellers can frame digitally produced labels not as a commodity, but as growth tools:
- “Launch more SKUs with less risk.” Short runs minimize commitment.
- “Zero waste inventory.” Outdated labels don’t pile up when ingredients change.
- “Design drives sales.” Offer A/B testing on label designs to show which moves product the fastest.
With the right partner, craft breweries can offer brand color matching, as well.
Where Resellers Win
As the craft beer market “right sizes” in light of new economic realities, the brewers who thrive will be the ones most nimble in their branding and marketing. As they innovate, they’ll need partners who can keep pace with that innovation. Will you be one of them?
Bob Saunders is VP Sales of Wise, Alpharetta, GA. Wise manufacturers industrial/prime labels and tags, traditional forms, and digitally printed products and services for resale only. For more information, visit www.wbf.com or email Bob at [email protected].
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