Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTKirk O’NeilWed, July 29, 2026 at 2:09 AM GMT+2 5 min readA decline in public consumption of alcoholic drinks has been a major factor in declining revenue in the beer, wine, and spirits sectors, leading certain companies to file for bankruptcy protection.128-year-old beer, wine, and spirits distributor, Republic National Distributing Company, was a major company affected as it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking going-concern sales of its remaining assets, a wind down of operations, completion of transition services agreements, and approval of its equity holder settlement.National Distributing Company Inc. is not a part of the Chapter 11 filing, the company said in a statement on its website.A company spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.Republic National Distributing Company has been selling off its operations across the nation this year.ShutterstockRepublic National's business declineRepublic National Distributing Company filed its petition as its business's financial position deteriorated after the Covid-19 pandemic subsided in late 2022 and demand for off-premises alcohol consumption plummeted.The company and other distributors had accumulated a significant amount of alcohol product during the pandemic and were left with excess inventory as alcohol demand returned to pre-pandemic levels.Macroeconomic and industry headwinds, such as high interest rates and rising inflation, contributed to the economic issues. Distributors also faced an unexpected shift in consumer alcohol drinking, as adults either curtailed drinking alcohol or stopped altogether, according to court papers.Alcohol consumption lowest in 90 yearsSince 2022, alcohol consumption plummeted and the percentage of adults in the U.S. that report themselves as regular consumers of alcohol reached its lowest level in nearly 90 years, according to court papers.The downturn impacted alcohol distributors' revenue, as spirits supplier sales decreased by 2.2% to $36.4 billion in 2025, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.Spirits company executives, however, are confident that the industry will persevere despite the economic decline."While total U.S. spirits sales edged down 2.2% in 2025, the spirits industry remains resilient, driven by innovative products that continue to spark consumer interest," said Chris Swonger, CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council.Company lost key suppliersCompounding the company's problems, from 2022 to 2025, Republic National Distributing lost several key suppliers that collectively generated more than $3 billion of the distributor's annual revenue.Despite establishing about 10 new or expanded supplier partnerships since 2023, macroeconomic factors and industry dynamics became insurmountable.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info