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Beer sales slump

Posted by Rita Mu

Beverage sales have slumped in the last five years, with the decrease in packaged beer driving the decline, according to a new report by Nielsen.

The 2011 Wider Beverage Report shows that for the first time since 2006, total beverage retail sales values fell last year. Total alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage volumes also fell over the past year, the report shows.

Traditional beers such as VB and Tooheys have suffered a fall in sales volumes over the past few years, while premium beers like Coopers, Peroni and Blue Tongue have bucked the trend with strong growth.

According to the report, Australians are spending 60 per cent of their beverage dollars on alcoholic drinks – an amount which is five times greater than the next largest category, carbonated drinks.

“Packaged beer has been a key component in the recent beverage decline,” Director for Nielsen’s Liquor Services Group, Liz Watkinson, said. “It represents the largest beverage segment, and accounts for nearly one dollar in every four spent in the beverage category. This is the first time we’ve seen the segment decline in over four years, as the traditional low carb and premium beer growth engines no longer appear to be fuelling the category.”

Functional waters, energy drinks, tea drinks and cider experienced the highest growth rates all of the beverage segments in recent years, according to the report.

Image: 4bars.com.au

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