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PRESS RELEASE: 25.10.2007 Domestic sales by members of the Finnish Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry 1 January - 31 September 2007 Beer consumption decreasingThe statistics of the Finnish Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry indicate that a total of 642.4 million litres of beer, ciders, long drinks, soft drinks and mineral waters had been sold by the end of September. Sales of long drinks reached 26 million litres. Sales of soft drinks declined by 2.8 million litres and sales of beer by 2.3 million litres. The figures on private imports by travellers that were published at the end of July also indicated that such imports had dropped by 3.2 million litres. By the end of September, sales of brewery beverages in Finland had declined by 0.4% compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. Sales of non-alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and mineral waters were down 2.4 million litres, while sales of alcoholic beverages remained at the previous year’s level. A total of 319.2 million litres of beer were sold, a decrease of 2.3 million litres or 0.7% on the previous year. Beer sales by members of the Finnish Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry represent about 93% of statistically recorded sales in Finland (July 2007). A total of 31.4 million litres of ciders had been sold by the end of the third quarter, down 0.6 million litres or 1.9 per cent on the previous year. On the other hand, sales of long drinks were still rising, up 12.9 per cent. During the January-September period, sales of long drinks outperformed the previous year by 3 million litres. A total of 26 million litres of long drinks were sold.
Sales of soft drinks fell 1.3 per cent short of the previous year. Total sales of soft drinks amounted to 211.5 million litres at the end of September. Sugar-free beverages accounted for 35 per cent of this amount. Mineral water sales in turn saw growth of 0.8 per cent. A total of 54.3 million litres of mineral waters were sold in Finland during the first three quarters. A study by TNS Gallup indicates that by the end of August, private imports of beer by travellers had declined by 3.4 million litres compared with the previous year. Beer imports by the end of August totalled 15.1 million litres. “The decline in both beer sales in Finland by our member companies and private imports by travellers prefigure a decrease in total beer consumption. In addition, there will be great pressures to raise beer prices after the turn of the year. 2008 will be a challenging year. The state should exercise greater restraint in its tax policies. The alcohol tax hikes the government has proposed to Parliament would make Finland’s beer tax the highest in the European Union. This is not to the advantage of consumers,” says Timo Jaatinen, Managing Director of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry. DOMESTIC SALES JANUARY - SEPTEMBER 2007
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, which are not
statistically recorded.
Additional information: Managing Director Timo Jaatinen, tel. +358 (0)9 1488 71 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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