Last year's sales of beer-based beverages by four major beer makers exceeded the previous year's sales for three companies, as business-use sales, which had fallen due to the corona wreck, were on a recovery trend.
By the 13th, the four major beer makers announced the sales volume and sales of beer, low-malt beer, and the third beer for the past year by the 13th.
As a result, compared to the previous year,
Asahi Breweries increased by 10.1%
, Suntory by 5% , and
Sapporo Breweries by 3.2%
.
In the background, business-use sales, mainly for restaurants, which had dropped sharply in the previous year, have been on a recovery trend due to the reduction in movement restrictions due to the corona disaster.
On the other hand, Kirin Brewery's sales decreased by 2.5% from the previous year due to the large proportion of home-use sales.
Also, according to estimates by each company, the market as a whole surpassed the previous year for the first time in 18 years since 2004.
However, this year's figure is expected to fall by 2% to 4% from last year due to the impact of population decline and price increases.
At a press conference, Asahi Breweries' president Kenichi Shiozawa said, "We expect this year to fall only in the mid-10% range compared to 2019 before the corona crisis. It depends on whether we come back," he said.