Ukraine: Beer and cider account for more than 90% of Ukraine’s low-alcohol drinks market
Monitoring of the low-alcohol drinks market in Ukraine indicates significant changes in the sector, which are due to both global trends and the peculiarities of domestic consumption, agronews.ua reported on February 20.
By 2015, beer was the undisputed leader, covering 90% of the market. The remaining 10% was accounted for by other categories of low-alcohol beverages, which were mainly consumed by women and people who did not prefer beer.
However, since 2015, the market has been experiencing a “cider boom”. New products such as Apps and Garage have quickly gained popularity and have taken 30–40% of the segment, pushing other low-alcohol beverages out of the market. Today, the main competition is between beer and cider, while the share of classic low-alcohol beverages continues to decline.
The low-alcohol drinks market in Ukraine is controlled by two main companies:
New Products Group – 66%
Obolon – 33%
The war significantly affected production indicators. In March 2022, Obolon produced only 6,5% of the volume of the same period in 2021, but a gradual recovery began in April. After a temporary downtime in March 2022, the New Products Group resumed the production of bottled water and energy bars, and in April-May it returned to full-fledged production of low-alcohol beverages.
Ukrainian producers are actively entering international markets, especially in countries such as Georgia, Moldova, and Armenia. Currently, about 3% of low-alcohol beverages are exported, and this figure has the potential to grow.
The average cost of products in the segment is approximately UAH 45. In the competitive struggle, Obolon positions its products as an affordable alternative, in particular, compared to the Bronx and Revo brands.
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