TOKYO: Kirin Brewery Co. plans to gradually make its Ichiban beer its main product overseas and thus heighten sales efficiency, in an effort to boost beer sales abroad. Currently, the major brewery offers two mainline beers overseas, Lager and Ichiban. It has already shifted to the latter in the US and South Korea, and plans to do so in Europe in the autumn.

The company also plans to consign more production and sales to overseas group firms in order to increase name recognition. In Europe, Kirin currently consigns production to a UK beer company and sells the products in countries such as Germany and Italy as well as the UK. But for the future it is considering securing European production facilities to which it can consign production, with an eye on increased demand in Russia and East Europe.

In Asia, the company plans to bolster its partnership with Philippines-based San Miguel Corp., in which it took a stake in 2002. Kirin will start selling Ichiban in that country as early as this month through the firm, and will aim to sell 1,000 to 2,000 cases annually. One case equals 24 350ml bottles.

Kirin also plans to market the beer in Thailand through San Miguel starting in spring 2005. Local production and sales will be consigned to the Filipino firm, and the annual sales target has been set at 20,000 to 30,000 cases.

Kirin's overseas beer sales, when including group companies such as San Miguel and Australia's Lion Nathan Ltd., was about 90 million cases last year, but Kirin's own brand accounts for only about 5 per cent of this figure.

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