Romania: Multinational beer companies saw a 20% increase in sales over the first nine months

Multinational companies on the Romanian beer market saw a 20% increase in sales over the first nine months of this year, exceeding sales reported in 2004 and reaching a volume almost equal to that of 2005, Ziarul Financiar published November 30.

The local branches of Heineken, SABMiller, InBev and Carlsberg sold 10 million hectolitres of beer in the first nine months of this year, against the 10.4 million hectolitres for the whole of 2005 and the 9.7 million hectolitres in 2004, according to data from the Romanian Brewers Association, which comprises the four multinational companies and represents 70% of the Romanian beer market.

In the first nine months of this year, the total beer market reached 13.5 million hectolitres. Calculated at an average price of 0.84-euro per litre of beer, the value of the market could stand at over 1.2 billion euros (shelf price). Last year, the beer market was estimated at some 600 million euros, calculated at the production price, though.