Russia, Moscow: Russia's leading beer-maker OAO Baltika Brewery announced on Wednesday, October 28, that its beer sales in the third quarter 2004 increased 31% year-on-year thanks to marketing efforts and distribution reorganization. The increase is twice exceeding the Russian beer market dynamics. The overall third-quarter rise in Russian beer sales was about 12% on the year, according to a survey published last week by the Russian Beer Union.

In July, August and September 2004 Baltika sold 635 million liters of beer. The sales of the leading Russian beer brand Baltika Number 3 Classic and the leading brand of non-alcoholic segment Baltika Number 0 increased by 40%. As a whole sales of Baltika brand increased 20% in the third quarter of the year. The highest growth figures were registered by licenced beer Carlsberg (76%), premium brand Parnas (312%) and regional brands Samara (149%) and DB (159%). According to the RBU survey the last two mentioned brands were the best-selling medium-priced brands in Russia in the third quarter.

Baltika said it would publish its financial results for the period on Nov. 26.

Baltika Brewery is 75.5% owned by Baltic Beverages Holding (BBH), the joint venture between Carlsberg AS and the UK's Scottish & Newcastle PLC. BBH Holding also controls other Russian breweries, including Zolotoi Ural, Yarpivo, Pikra and Vena, and runs three Ukrainian breweries, four in the Baltic countries and two in Kazakhstan.

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