A promotional stunt involving Jupiler at Albert Heijn Belgium has sparked controversy once again, but other supermarket chains are also offering discounts of between 25% and more than 40% on lager brands.
Six crates per customer
This week, Albert Heijn in Belgium is launching a promotional stunt on Jupiler, the market leader in the lager segment: three crates for the round price of 30 euros are prominently featured in the Bonus folder. That amounts to a discount of 35.5%, a price per liter of just 1.67 euros, or 42 cents per bottle, according to HLN’s calculations. Unlike the controversial “2+5 free” promotion at the beginning of November, this is a “while stocks last” promotion, but the retailer has stocked up on very large quantities, spokeswoman Ann Maes assures us. “At the same time, we hope our customers will show some solidarity.” Some Albert Heijn stores have signs with the message: “Max. 6 crates per customer.”
At the same time, other Belgian supermarkets are also running unusually strong offers on lager: crates of Stella Artois are available at a 25% discount at Carrefour, Colruyt, and Delhaize, as is Cristal Alken at Colruyt and Delhaize, while Maes is even selling at a 41.1% discount at Carrefour, Colruyt, and Delhaize. In a shrinking lager market, brewers are trying to maintain their volumes by lowering prices, according to beer sommelier Sofie Vanrafelghem. This strategy only reinforces the cheap image of Belgian lager.
