Sales in August for four brands of beer and similar products declined as a result of the coronavirus.
Via Japantimes
The brands affected are Sapporo Breweries Ltd., whose volume sales fell 18%; Suntory Beer Ltd, 12%; 8% less for Kirin Brewery Co. and 20% less in value for Asahi Breweries Ltd.
All of these brands report a decline that began in July, when demand for served beer, especially in bars and restaurants was partially affected by bad weather.
However the negative figures for August are due to the virus which caused the cancellation of summer vacations and festivals, affecting family and friend gatherings. Also, this drop is attributed to the lack of demand that the brands enjoyed the previous year, before the increase in the consumption tax in October 2019.
What’s next after this episode does not look very positive. By September, sales are not expected to show a year-on-year jump during the pandemic. Last year, sales were driven by pre-tax demand and the Rugby World Cup hosted by Japan.
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