Suntory to raise beer prices in Sept

Suntory Ltd said Wednesday it will raise shipment prices of its canned beer and quasi-beer products on Sept 1 due to surging raw materials and packaging costs.

Retail prices of the canned products, including "happoshu" low-malt beer-like beverages and third-segment alcoholic drinks, are expected to go up 3-5%. This will be Suntory's first price hike of canned beer products since March 1990.

From this month, Suntory raised the prices of its restaurant-use barreled and bottled beer products.

Its bigger rivals have already raised prices of all beer and beer-like products, with Kirin Brewery Co starting hikes in February, Asahi Breweries Ltd in March and Sapporo Breweries Ltd in April.

Suntory's decision to keep prices of its mainstay canned products steady during the summer peak demand season may allow it to catch up with Sapporo, the third largest player in the industry, in market share.

© JCN