Japan beer shipments up 9.6% in July

Wednesday 13th August, 07:34 AM JST

TOKYO —

Beer and quasi-beer shipments in Japan rose 9.6 pct from a year before to 52,346,000 cases in July, increasing for the first time in five months, brewers’ data showed Tuesday.

Demand grew rapidly amid a long spell of very hot weather, recovering from the negative effects of product price hikes, industry officials said.

By category, shipments of so-called third-segment alcoholic beverages, which have little or no malt content, jumped 35.9 pct to 12,042,000 cases, reflecting consumer preference for low-priced products. Especially, Suntory Ltd.’s “Kinmugi,” the only major brand for which price was kept unchanged, enjoyed strong sales.

Third-segment beverages took a 23.0 pct share in the overall bear and quasi-beer market, surpassing “happoshu” low-malt beer-like beverages for the third straight month.

Shipments of beer rose 3.4 pct to 29,048,000 cases, after four consecutive months of decline, and those of “happoshu” beverages grew 4.2 pct to 11,257,000 cases, up for the first time in six months.

Shipments increased for all the three categories for the first time in six months. One case contains the equivalent of 20 633-milliliter bottles.

By brewer, Suntory performed particular well with an outstanding 35 pct rise in shipments. All makers registered shipment growth.

JCN

4 Comments

LIBERTAS at 08:45 AM JST - 13th August

"Quasi-beer" would get you jail time in Bavaria under the Reinheitsgebot (beer purity law)! What's next? Kerosene flavored "beer"?
usaexpat at 11:43 PM JST - 13th August

Beer shipments up as the economy shrinks for the first time in 4 quarters. Either everyone is drowning their sorrows or work is suffering because everybody been on a drunk.
bushlover at 10:13 AM JST - 14th August

Is that beer shipments or quasi-beer shipments? Does quasi-beer give quasi-hangovers?
Sarge at 08:34 PM JST - 24th August

bushlover - The quasi-beers give you a queasy hangover. But then again so do the regular beers if you drink too much!