Bulgaria: Beer market up 17% m/m in February

Bulgarian domestic beer sales rose 17.4% month-on-month to 234,828 hectoliters in February, shows data released by the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria, Dnevnik reported March 20.

Although sales jumped 30% year-on-year to 451,456 hectoliters in January and February, the beer market is expected to slow down to a growth rate of 4-5% for the entire 2007 after gaining 14% last year.
The UBB figures do not reflect the sales of the locally-owned Lomsko Pivo and MM brands which are not members of the union.

Kamenitza AD, owned by the world's biggest brewer by volume InBev, was February's top performer in terms of month-on-month growth, adding 50% to record sales of 63,528 hectoliters.
Kamenitza AD, the nation's only beer exporter, said it shipped abroad 844 hectoliters in February.
The flagship brand of the company - Kamenitza, owned 16% of the local beer market in 2006.

Sales at Heineken-owned Zagorka AD increased by 15% month-on-month to a market-leading 85,024 hectoliters in February. The company has the YTD lead as well with 159,214 hectoliters for January and February combined.

Carlsberg Bulgaria was runner-up in February with a month-on-month growth of 6.8% to 67,767 hectoliters. The company has sold 46,767 hectoliters of beer in January-February.

Locally-owned Boliarka VT posted a month-on-month decline of 2.6% to 23,176 hectoliters in February.

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