Victoria Bitter beer has been rewarded for returning to its full strength offering, achieving its first quarter of growth in over 10 years.
SABMiller, VB's parent company, has released its latest trading update and announced a two percent growth for its flagship beverage, in the quarter ending 31 December 2012. This is the first quarter of growth experienced by the brand in over a decade.
The brand is attributing the growth to its "brand restoration program and improved retail engagement" which late last year saw VB return to full strength (4.9 percent alcohol) after reducing it to 4.6 percent in 2009.
Foster's Group spokesman Jeremy Griffith told SMH, "We just went back to basics and we’re cautiously optimistic.
"We [also] took the advertising and the labelling back to what it traditionally was and tradition has always been it’s a hard-earned thirst. You work hard, you get a beer. That was always the market take and it was always very successful for 30 years.
"When you’ve made your largest brand to turn around for the first time in 10 years, it’s very encouraging," he said.
SABMiller's update also stated that "Lager volumes in Asia Pacific declined by one percent on an organic basis (which excludes Australia volumes altogether), largely as a result of subdued volumes in China, which declined three percent, due mainly to an exceptionally cold and wet winter across the country."
XXXX Gold, owned by Lion – the local subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Kirin – is Australia's top selling beer by volume.