Japan: Four major brewers report July beer sales

Four major Japanese brewers on August 13 reported year-on-year falls in sales of beer and quasi-beer products in July, reflecting continuing drops in demand from restaurants and other business customers amid the spread of the new coronavirus, Nippon.com said.

Sales by volume fell 5 pct at Kirin Brewery Co., 9 pct at Suntory Beer Ltd. and 2 pct at Sapporo Breweries Ltd., while sales by value were down 6 pct at Asahi Breweries Ltd. Also behind the slumps was unfavorable weather.

Beer and quasi-beer sales were sluggish in July last year as well, due to bad weather and consumers’ shift to canned “chuhai” spirits.

With many restaurants and pubs now operating by reducing the number of seats for customers to prevent coronavirus infection, sales last month of bottled and barreled beer dropped to 60-70 pct of the year-before levels.

Sales to business-use products are recovering after hitting bottom in April. But an official of a major brewer warned that sales to businesses are likely to fall again amid a recent resurgence in coronavirus cases across the country.

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