After two years of decline and a year of flat sales, the beer industry, one of the most important fast moving consumer goods sectors, which can be regarded as a barometer of the performance of the economy, reached 17.67 million hectoliter (3.5 billion 0.5 liter glasses of beer), the same as in 2009.
Football events (beer drinking is traditionally associated with football) and the weather drove consumption up and May and July were the best months of the year for beer sales (growth of 16% and 14%).
One of the major players on the beer market, Ursus, announced that in October-December 2012 (the third quarter of its fiscal year) sales volumes went up by 23%. Heineken saw 5% to 10% higher sales last year.
Other major brewers in Romania include Bergenbier, URBB and Romaqua (with its Albacher and Dorfer brands).
On the other hand, small players like Berarium, which owns Clinica de Bere (Beer Clinic) microbrewery in Timisoara and makes Terapia Gold and Terapia Platin beers are seeing growth, too.
“We posted slight growth last year. We expect good performance in 2013, as well, which we could already feel in January and February,” said Heinrich Loth, manager of Clinica de Bere and one of the shareholders of the company. It sold about 150,000 liters of beer last year.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)