Japan: Beer & beer-like alcoholic drinks shipments register increase in August

The shipments of beer and beer-like alcoholic drinks in August by five Japanese brewers rose 5.6 % over a year earlier as higher summer temperatures stimulated demand, for the first rise in three months, Kyodo communicated on September 12. The shipments by Kirin Brewery Co., Asahi Breweries Ltd., Suntory Ltd., Orion Breweries Ltd. and Sapporo Breweries Ltd. amounted to 48.89 million cases. One case has 12.66 liters, or the equivalent of 20 633-mlliliter bottles.

Beer shipments had a 2.1 % increase to 29.15 million cases, the first rise in eight months. Beer sales had been affected by explosive growth in sales of so-called "third-category beer" that is taxed and priced lower.

Real beer accounted for 59.6 % of the beer and beer-like alcoholic drinks shipments in August 2005. Shipments of draft beer to restaurants expanded by nearly 10 %. Third-category beer shipments jumped some 3.4-fold to 7.68 million cases, accounting for 15.7 % of the total shipments in the reporting month. Of the five brewers, Asahi and Kirin recorded shipment growth. The others suffered drops on slack "happoshu" shipments.

"Happoshu" low-malt beer shipments decreased 22.2 %, dropping below the year-before level for the 13th consecutive month

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