We are drinking more and more Swiss beer – puddles abroad are losing market share

We are drinking more and more Swiss beer – puddles abroad are losing market share

The hot spring and summer 2018 have increased sales of Swiss breweries. Domestic production increased while imports declined further. However, according to the professional association, the increase is not yet a reversal of the trend.

The total beer market grew by 1.8% in September 2017-2018 at the end of September 2017, reaching 4.70 million hectoliters, as announced Tuesday the Swiss Brewery Association. While domestic breweries increased their production by 3.9%, beer imports decreased by 4.6% to stand at 1.14 million hectoliters during the period considered. and lost ground again. The total market share of national breweries thus increased from 75% to around 77% in the same period last year.

The diversity of beer increases

"The fact that the import is decreasing, is rewarding," said Tuesday the president of the Association, Markus Zemp, at a press conference in Zurich. "The variety of beer has continued to increase and the big breweries have also expanded their offer."

"This is the first increase since 2014," said Marcel Kreber, director of the Brewery Association. "A reversal of the trend is not yet." The consumption of alcoholic beverages per capita continues to decline relative to the trend.

55 liters per head

Specialty beers, which now account for 18% (16% the year before), were the main beneficiaries. The low-fermentation beer and the special beer (Swiss version of the beer) gained 82% market share. According to preliminary estimates, per capita consumption should reach 55 liters (previous year: 54.3 liters).

The hot spring and summer 2018 had a major impact on the positive outcome, said the association's director. The months of April, May and July saw an extraordinary increase in beer production compared to the previous year.

Shortage of skilled labor even in breweries

Despite the positive evolution of the market, there are also negative developments. "The industry feels the skills shortage," said Zemp. Each year, only about ten students complete the brewer training. "The needs of the industry are much greater." Only large breweries would have the necessary infrastructure to provide on-the-job training. The association wants to promote and coordinate the breweries cooperation in training.

The brewery association has 21 members and 23 breweries. The Erusbacher & Paul breweries of Villmergen and WhiteFrontier of Martigny have been added to the list of new members of the last brewing year. The sector directly and indirectly offers around 48,000 jobs in Switzerland. A member can only become a member with a minimum turnover of 2,000 hectoliters per year.

Nearly 1000 breweries in Switzerland

The association continues: the growth of the number of breweries is not interrupted and the variety of beer continues to increase. By the end of October, 995 breweries were on the Federal Customs Administration's list of taxable domestic breweries, compared to 833 the previous year. The start-up boom has continued unchecked or even strengthened. But it is also true that individual breweries have ceased their activities mainly for economic reasons.

A brewery is a person who brews more than four hectoliters (400 liters) of beer a year for work or leisure, or who gives or sells them, whatever their quantity.

(Wh / AWP / SDA)