Research published today by market research organisation, IBISWorld, predicts that Australians will spend A$25.4 Billion on alcoholic beverages in 2011-12. According to the research, Australians are increasingly choosing premium alcoholic drinks over traditional beers. The report predicts that alcohol spending in Australia will increase by 15.3% over the next five years, reaching A$29.3 Billion in 2016/17. IBISWorld General Manager (Australia) Karen Dobie said that while Australia’s alcohol consumption... ...Read more »

Lion, the Kirin-owned food and drinks company, has experienced challenging conditions and declining revenue across its businesses in Australia and New Zealand over the last six months, ending March 31 2011, according to its latest financial figures reported on August 5, 2011. The report shows declines in Lion’s beer, spirits and wine divisions in Australia and New Zealand, and in its dairy and drinks division: Beer, spirits and wine divisions in Australia and New Zealand delivered earnings before... ...Read more »

Kirin-owned dairy and drinks giant, Lion Nathan National Foods, today announced its intention to rebrand its three divisions – Lion Nathan Australia, Lion Nathan New Zealand and National Foods – to a single new brand, Lion. All three will use the Lion brand, but the company said that to distinguish informally as required, National Foods will be known as Dairy and Drinks, while the Lion Nathan businesses will become Beer, Spirits and Wines, Australia, and Beer, Spirits and Wines, New Zealand. Lion... ...Read more »

Lion Nathan National Foods announced its results for the quarter ended 31 December 2010, with tough results across the board. Revenues for National Foods and Lion Nathan Australia were both down 11%, to $729.8 and $430.2 respectively. White milk volumes declined 11% for National Foods, and Lion Nathan’s 4% higher per-litre price was also knocked out by lower volumes. Only Lion Nathan New Zealand delivered increased revenue, up 9% at NZ$204.7 million. “Rising interest rates and power costs,... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil and Beam Global Spirits and Wine have announced a new 10-year agreement, allowing CCA to continue the manufacture, sales and distribution of the Beam premium spirits portfolio – including Jim Beam, DeKuyper, Laphroaig, Maker’s Mark, Courvoisier, Canadian Club and Teacher’s. Australia represents Beam Global’s second largest market in the world, with Jim Beam Bourbon taking the top spot in spirit sales, and Jim Beam and Cola topping the ready-to-drink sales. In... ...Read more »

Consumer group CHOICE has found that consumers are paying up to 40% more for alcohol at liquor outlets next to supermarkets, and that aggressive pricing policies by the big retailers may be driving smaller competitors out of business. A survey of eleven retailers, including those owned by Coles and Woolworths, found that the bottle shops owned by the major retailers – BWS, Dan Murphy’s and Woolworths Liquor for Woolworths, and Liquorland, Vintage Cellars and 1st Choice Liquor for Coles –... ...Read more »

According to new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the apparent consumption of ready-to-drink pre-mixed alcoholic beverages fell by 30% in 2008-09, reversing an upward trend for the last four years, based on the quantity of alcohol produced and sold. Apparent consumption dropped from 18.7 million litres in 2007-08 – 1.08 litres per person – to 13.1 million litres, or 0.74 litres per person. By contrast, spirits showed a rise in apparent consumption, from 20.2 million... ...Read more »

A study by Roy Morgan has shown increased consumption of cider and spirits in 2009, and a drop in the number of drinkers of ready-to-drink premixed beverages, known as RTDs or ‘alcopops’. In December 2009, the estimated number of cider drinkers in Australia was up 45%, to 549,000, over an estimated 379,000 at the same time in 2008 – around 3.3% of Australia’s drinking-age population.  Spirits consumption was up 4.6%, with an extra 200,000 new drinkers. The RTD market lost... ...Read more »

Diageo, the world’s largest spirits producer, has reported a sales decline of six per cent in the first quarter but remains confident that they can deliver low single digit profit growth in fiscal 2010. The maker of Smirnoff, Guinness and Johnnie Walker said that the decline was expected, given weakness in key markets and was not reflective of current demand for their products. “As we anticipated consumer trends across our markets remain broadly unchanged since the year-end,” Paul... ...Read more »

Consumer drinking in bars, pubs and restaurants has been subdued around the world this year, but some alcoholic beverages have managed to maintain growth rates with the assistance of a robust ‘at-home’ market. In an analysis of the global alcohol industry, researchers Euromonitor International see beer – led by domestic options – as the best performing sector and premium spirits and wine as the most threatened. “Global alcoholic drinks volume growth is slowing down... ...Read more »