Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA) announced at its Annual General Meeting on 7 May 2013 that it expected to see a decline or 8 to 9 per cent in earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for the first half of the 2013 financial year. Speaking at the meeting, Terry Davis, CCA’s Group Managing Director, said the first four months of trading had delivered “mixed results”, but that the Company expected to see a return to earnings growth in the second half. “In Australian beverages, the grocery channel... ...Read more »

The recent first quarter trading update from Japanese-owned Australian food and beverage manufacturer Lion shows a volume increase of 14 per cent in the beer, wine and spirits category for the quarter ended 31 December 2012, despite an overall slowing of the category’s market. Lion said the alcohol sales volume increase came because of its acquisition of international premium and craft brands. But the Company reported that its dairy and drinks category faced challenges in the first quarter, and... ...Read more »

More than 60 per cent of Australian adults went to the movies last year, and those who saw a romance, drama, thriller, comedy or action/adventure film were more likely to have had a drink recently. “Going to the movies continues to be a favourite evening out and social occasion for a large number of Australians,” said Roy Morgan’s Media and Communications General Manager, George Persutto. He suggested that the cinema is a good environment for both mass and niche alcohol markets. According to... ...Read more »

Wesfarmers-owned Coles supermarket group is entering the craft beer market with the launch of its own Steamrail Brewing Co brand. This is the first big move by Coles into a house-brand for a new alcoholic beverage. Coles’ major strategic move into a private-brand beer follows earlier beer-marketing moves by rival supermarket Woolworths. Woolworths launched its house-branded Sail and Anchor brand produced by Gage Roads Brewing in November 2012. Coles’ Steamrail Brewing Co campaign features the... ...Read more »

One of Australia’s major food and beverage groups Lion Foods is going with UXC Red Rock Consulting to develop a demand forecasting system which is intended to increase accuracy of demand forecasting. UXC Red Rock Consulting is Oracle’s key partner in Australia and New Zealand. It recently won a competitive tender to manage the implementation of the Demantra Collaborative Demand Forecasting for Lion across its beer, spirits and wine businesses in Australia and New Zealand. Lion, which is one of... ...Read more »

Consumer research company Technomic has released its list of the top ten adult beverage trends that will shape the US alcohol industry in 2013. Based on ongoing research into spirits, wine and beer volume and sales, as well as surveys, interviews and discussions involving brand marketers, on-premise and retail operators, bartenders and consumers, these insights are supported by Technomic’s extensive adult beverage database including its Trends in Adult Beverage reports. The major developments influencing... ...Read more »

Formerly the largest-selling Australian beer in the world, the Foster’s brand has continued to suffer despite the optimism for improved sales that were anticipated in Australia after the South African brewing giant SABMiller’s $12.3 billion takeover last year. Falling sales and higher Australian costs, and the servicing of high debt levels, were amongst reasons for added pressure on the Foster’s beer division. SABMiller reported last week that Foster’s sales fell 13 per cent in the latest... ...Read more »

Woolworths and the Western Australian based craft beer company, Gage Roads Brewing, have signed a three year supply deal. The relationship is a beneficial spin-off from the closure of the Perth-based Swan Brewery by Lion. The Gage Roads Brewing company makes its own craft beer brands Wahoo Premium Ale, Gage, Sleeping Giant and Atomic Pale Ale which will be sold at Woolworths, together with Woolworths’ brands Dry Dock, Clipper Light, Castaway and Sail & Anchor. Woolworths also owns a 25 per... ...Read more »

While big brand mass market beer consumption in the US and Australia has been static or in decline, craft beers and boutique breweries are gaining additional strength. The Western Australian-based Swan brewery has announced plans to shut down by March 2013 its operation at Canning Vale. Lion, owned by Japanese brewery Kirin, said the Swan Brewery had been operating at half of its 300 million litre production capacity. Lion has reported that Swan and Emu beer sales have fallen from 30 per cent to... ...Read more »

Beer remained the largest segment of the U.S. adult beverage industry, accounting for more than four-fifths of total alcohol volume, but was challenged by both economic and consumer trends that resulted in a 1.3 percent decline in 2011. Total beer volume in the USA was 2.8 billion 2.25-gallon cases for the year, according to Technomic’s recently-released 2012 Beer (Trends in Adult Beverage) report. “The beer consumer is really at the heart of the trends shaping the beer market,” said Donna... ...Read more »