The beer market was worth 17 million hectoliters in 2011, according to the Brewers of Romania Association, which is the same as in 2010, Hezy Ovadia told ZF.
According to ZF’s calculations based on the data provided by the National Statistics Institute, sales of beer rose by almost 4% in the first half to about 8.3 million hectoliters and May and June were the best months for sales.
The president of URBB says brewers make almost half of their yearly sales during the summer, about 40% to 45%.
URBB’s sales went up slightly in the first six months compared with the year-ago period, its president said.
URBB is one of the leading local brewers, whose brand portfolio includes Tuborg, Carlsberg, Skol and Holsten.
The company also owns the Granini soft drinks and the Bilbor water brands, but beer generates most of its revenue. Its best-selling beer brands in the first half were Tuborg, Carlsberg and Skol, which are also some of its oldest. June was the best month for sales because of the European Soccer Championship where Carlsberg was the official partner.
URBB posted EUR69.3 million revenue last year, up by less than 1% on 2010, while profit stood at about EUR940,000 after a EUR1.84 million loss in the previous year.
The leading competitors on the market are Ursus, Heineken, Bergenbier and URBB. Heineken posted growth of 11.8% in revenue in the first half and of more than 5% in volume. Ursus saw its business up 15% in the quarter ended June 30, which means it returned to growth.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)