Chinese brand claims top spot on list of world’s best selling beers
Bud Light has been leapfrogged by China’s Snow as the world’s highest selling beer brand, according to data obtained by Reuters from market researcher Plato Logic.
Snow, which is brewed by SABMiller with its Chinese joint venture partner China Resources Enterprises, reaped rewards from being the key player in the burgeoning Chinese market, with 2008 sales volumes surging 19.1 per cent to 61 million hectolitres*.
Plato found the top six brands included the Snow range, followed by the Bud Light range (55.6 million hectolitres), Budweiser (43.4), Skol (35.4), Corona (32.7) and Heineken (29.1).
Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer and owner of the Budweiser and Bud Light trademarks, disputed the findings, asserting that Bud Light was the highest selling single trademark brand as Snow had a family of brands with over 25 different extensions.
* A hectolitre is equivalent to 100 litres.
