AB InBev’s alcohol-free beer, Jupiler 0,0 %, is a resounding success, surpassing its predecessor’s annual volume by the end of the month. Despite this positive note, the overall beer market is not great shape.
Popular in stores
“Our Jupiler 0,0 % sales in the January – April period are already 2.5 times higher than our Jupiler NA’s sales in the same period of last year”, AB InBev’s spokesperson Korneel Warlop said. With 75 % of sales from stores, the beer easily outperforms other beer brands in that area. Jupiler 0,0 % is currently available in about 5,500 catering businesses as well.
AB InBev’s Belgian market share for non-alcoholic beers is up to 83.5 %, although it only represents 2.2 % of the overall beer market. Germany and Spain do much better in that regard, with 10.4 and 17.7 % respectively. The company’s goal is to bring its non-alcoholic (or light alcoholic) drink volume up to 20 % of its overall beer volume.
Lower beer sales
At the same time, Belgian beer sales continue to slip. Last year, 7.7 million hectoliters of beer were sold, a 3.3 % slump, much worse than the average 1.4 % slump over the past twenty years. Chairman of the Federatie van Belgische Brouwers (Federation of Belgian Brewers), Jean-Louis Van de Perre, says there are multiple reasons for that major drop. “The terrorist attack on 22 March definitely impacted the economic and social life in Belgium and the hospitality industry suffered tremendously. The excise increases also had a negative impact and the overall weak weather conditions did not help fill terraces”, he added.
The regular beers also suffered the brunt of the weaker sales, down 4.3 %. Degustation beers fared much better, growing 3.5 %. “The Belgian consumer’s drinking habits have changed. His attention has turned towards craft beers, but that impacts beer volumes”, Van de Perre concludes. Seeing how regular beers still make up 71 % of the market, lower sales have a larger impact on overall sales volumes as well.
Beer export continues to grow: there was an 8.1 % increase last year, up to 14.1 million hectoliters of beer for foreign markets. The Netherlands are still the largest market abroad, with 2.32 million hectoliters, but the United States are closing in thanks to a 16.1 % increase to 2.2 million hectoliters.
