Romania: Heineken expects 25% increase in summer sales

Heineken Romania, leader of the domestic beer market with a gross turnover of over 200 million euros, estimates an over 25% sales increase, against last year, for the coming summer, a continuation in the progressive trend seen over the last few years, Ziarul Financiar published June 15.

"In the summer of 2006, a 26% increase was registered in Heineken's domestic sales volume against 2005. We are confident that we will maintain a progressive trend this year, although it is always difficult to predict the weather," states Edwin Botterman (photo), president and CEO of Heineken Romania.

Last year, beer consumption on the domestic market skyrocketed during the summer, rising 23% against the previous year.
"Heineken was the beer brand with the highest sales increase last year on the Romanian market.

"The sales volume saw a 40% increase in 2006, on 2005," says Edwin Botterman.

The Heineken brand is bottled in the Miercurea Ciuc-based beer plant, the first plant on the local market to produce the brand.

According to Botterman, the annual production capacity of the Miercurea Ciuc-based plant totals around 1.440 million hectolitres.

Heineken owns four domestic beer plants: Craiova, Constanta, Miercurea Ciuc and Hateg, with over 1,300 employees in total, 330 of whom are employed in the production facility at Miercurea Ciuc.

Heineken Romania started its rebranding programme at the beginning of the year, which includes alterations in design and packaging.

The Heineken brand will be completely revitalised by the end of June, according to Kwast Illoc, the group's brand manager at Heineken Romania.

The next stage of Heineken's strategy is to focus on the manner of serving draught Heineken beer in hotels and restaurants.

"The next step is to introduce the concept of Heineken extra-cold nationwide, with a serving temperature of zero degrees Celsius," added Ilco Kwast.

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