Panimo- ja virvoitusjuomateollisuusliittoPuh. (09) 148 871 Fax (09) 14887201 info@panimoliitto.fi

PRESS RELEASE: 31.10.2006

Domestic sales by members of the Finnish Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry 1 January - 31 September 2006

Beer sales still falling

Sales of beverages produced by breweries totalled 644.7 million litres at the end of September. Total sales of beer, cider, long drinks, soft drinks and mineral waters rose 1.8 per cent on the previous year. While sales of cider and long drinks increased slightly, beer sales declined. Consumption of non-alcoholic drinks grew by a total of 7.9 million litres. The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry holds a number of the amendments to the Alcohol Act currently being discussed by Parliament to be incorrectly targeted.

At the end of September, sales of beverages produced by members of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry totalled 644.7 million litres, representing a rise of 11.5 million litres and up 1.8 per cent on the previous year.

Beer sales remained on the decline and amounted to 321.5 million litres in the third quarter. Compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, 1.8 million litres less beer was sold in Finland, a fall of 0.6 per cent. Only sales of non-alcoholic beer rose slightly.

Finns consumed 32.0 million litres of cider produced by members of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry. Cider sales rose by 1.5 million litres, or 4.9 per cent. Sales of long drinks were also up by a total of 3.9 million litres and reached 23.0 million litres at the end of September, representing growth of 20.3 per cent on the previous year.

The largest increase in sales was seen in non-alcoholic drinks, that is soft drinks and mineral waters. Soft drink sales rose by 4.2 million litres to a total of 214.4 million litres, representing growth of 2.0 per cent. Sales of mineral waters grew by 3.7 million litres to 54 million litres, up 7.3 per cent on the previous year.

Imports of beer from abroad by travellers decreased to 20.0 million litres according to a TNS Gallup survey carried out during the same period. At the end of September, imports of cider amounted to 3.0 million litres and long drinks to 4.8 million litres.

The Government has recently begun parliamentary discussion of proposed amendments to the Alcohol Act. Timo Jaatinen, Managing Director of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry, thinks that measures should be more clearly targeted against alcohol misuse.

“Advertising restrictions and tightened legislation have been targeted almost exclusively at beer, whose consumption is anyway on the decline. Measures should now be directed towards underage alcohol use and effective curbing of public drinking.”

DOMESTIC SALES JANUARY - SEPTEMBER 2006

Beverage
 2006
mill. l
 2005
mill. l
 Change
mill. l
 Change
%
Beer
 321.5
 323.3
 -1.8
 -0.6
Cider 32.0
 30.5
 1.5
 4.9
Long drinks 23.0 19.1
 3.9
 20.3
Soft drinks
 214.4 210.1 4.2
 2.0
Mineral water
54.0
 50.2
 3.7
 7.3
Sales total
 644.7 633.3 11.5 1.8

Source: Member companies of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry. The statistics do not include sales by actors outside the Federation, nor private imports of brewery products.

Additional information:
Managing Director Timo Jaatinen, tel. +358 (0)9 1488 71
Communications Manager Katri Tuulensuu, tel. +358 (0)9 1488 7601, GSM +358 (0)40 777 1938

The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry promotes the interests of producers of beer, cider, long drinks, soft drinks and mineral waters in Finland. Its members are Oy Hartwall Ab, Nokian Panimo Oy, Olvi Oyj and Oy Sinebrychoff Ab. The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry operates in connection with the Finnish Food and Drink Industries Federation and is among the four largest industries in the food and drink branch in terms of the value of production.

 

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