Sapporo beer is taking a walk on the dark side.
Hoping to keep pace with a growing number of consumers looking for the next new thing, the Japanese beer maker is releasing Premium Black, its first new beer since its Premium Light was launched in 2004. Sapporo is the top imported Asian beer brand in the U.S., a perch it has held for over 30 years. (more…)
For the first time in the last decade, the Japanese mid-priced lager segment posted positive growth in 2015. Although it was only a slight increase, at 0.3% in volume terms, this indicates that Japan’s beer market has started to shift gradually. The category’s growth in 2015 was mainly driven by a successful new launch, writes Euromonitor International. (more…)
The standard line when it comes to Japanese consumer companies making acquisitions overseas is that they’re trying to escape the demographic decline at home. So what to make of Asahi’s reported interest in eastern Europe? (more…)
Asahi Breweries Ltd. plans to expand its exports of beer, Shinichi Hirano, president of the Japanese company, said in a recent interview.
Hirano said Asahi Breweries plans to strengthen sales of its beer at international airports and luxury hotels overseas. It “aims to take active promotion measures at places where high-end premium beer sells well,” he said. (more…)
Asahi Group Holdings Ltd, the Japanese brewer that’s buying European beer brands worth US$2.9bil from Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, posted its highest-ever first-quarter sales as demand for its alcoholic beverages rose. (more…)
With 99% of the local beer market dominated by five major makers, it’s little wonder that Japan’s craft brews don’t always get the recognition they could at home. (more…)
Kirin Holdings will begin brewing and selling its flagship Ichiban Shibori beer in Myanmar as early as this month. (more…)
Producers of aluminum cans, as well as the sheet they are made from, are expanding Southeast Asian output capacity in anticipation of sharp growth in beverage-packaging demand. (more…)
Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings said Wednesday it has agreed to acquire some operations from U.K.-based brewer SABMiller in a deal that could smooth the way for a much larger transaction between SABMiller and Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev. (more…)
Asahi Group Holdings’ move into Europe shows how eager Japanese drinks groups are to expand beyond a shrinking domestic market. (more…)
