China Resources Snow Breweries Limited (or ‘CR Snow’), a subsidiary of China Resources Enterprise, Limited (or ‘the Company’) (HKEx: 00291) and a joint venture with SABMiller plc (or ‘SABMiller’), is pleased to announce that CR Snow has been ranked No.1 by sales volume in China’s beer industry while its “??Snow” beer has been named the best-selling single beer brand in China for the year 2010, according to the China Industrial Information Issuing Center, an authoritative institute under the National Bureau of Statistics of China. This is the sixth straight time that “??Snow” has commanded the No.1 spot as a single beer brand in the industry in terms of sales volume.
Meanwhile, in the “2011 BrandFinance®Global 500” list recently published by Brand Finance plc, a world leading independent brand valuation consultancy, “?? Snow” was ranked 34th in the list of most valuable Chinese brands, with a brand value of US$1.688 billion.
In 2010, the total sales volume of CR Snow rose 11% to approximately 9,280,000 kiloliters; the sales volume of “??Snow” alone surged 16% to approximately 8,413,000 kiloliters. The brewer’s share of China’s beer market was approximately 21% as at the end of 2010. The beer brand “?? Snow” has also grown to be an important player in the global beer industry. According to a prestigious market research firm Plato Logic Limited, “?? Snow” eclipsed other well-known global brands and became the world’s best-selling single beer brand by sales volume in 2009.
The Company entered the beer industry in 1993 and began its partnership with SABMiller, one of the leading brewers in the world, in 1994. CR Snow has grown to be a leader in the industry thanks to its successful acquisition strategy, well-executed consolidation, and sustained brand building efforts.
About China Resources Snow Breweries Limited
China Resources Snow Breweries Limited was established by the Company in 1993 and became a joint venture with SABMiller plc in 1994. It is engaged in the production, sales and marketing of beer in China. Its shareholders are China Resources Enterprise, Limited and SABMiller Asia Limited, a subsidiary of SABMiller plc. China Resources Enterprise, Limited has a 51% interest in China Resources Snow Breweries Limited while SABMiller Asia Limited holds the remaining 49% interest. In 2010, it operated over 70 breweries in China with a total beer sales volume of about 9,280,000 kiloliters. It is the largest brewer in China by sales volume.
About China Resources Enterprise, Limited
China Resources Enterprise, Limited is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is one of the constituent stocks of the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong. The Group focuses on the consumer businesses including retail, beer, food and beverage in China.