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August Beer, Beer-Like Drink Shipments Up for 1st Time in 3 Months

Posted on: Monday, 12 September 2005, 12:01 CDT

Sep. 12--TOKYO -- Shipments of beer and beer-like alcoholic drinks in August by five Japanese brewers rose 5.6 percent over a year earlier as higher summer temperatures stimulated demand, for the first rise in three months, industry groups said Monday.

The shipments by Kirin Brewery Co., Asahi Breweries Ltd., Suntory Ltd., Orion Breweries Ltd. and Sapporo Breweries Ltd. totaled 48.89 million cases. One case holds 12.66 liters, or the equivalent of 20 633-mlliliter bottles.

Beer shipments posted a 2.1 percent increase to 29.15 million cases, the first rise in eight months. Beer sales had been affected by explosive growth in sales of so-called "third-category beer" that is taxed and priced lower.

Real beer accounted for 59.6 percent of the shipments of beer and beer-like alcoholic drinks in August. Shipments of draft beer to restaurants expanded by nearly 10 percent.

Third-category beer shipments jumped some 3.4-fold to 7.68 million cases, accounting for 15.7 percent of the total shipments in the reporting month.

"Happoshu" low-malt beer shipments declined 22.2 percent, slipping below the year-before level for the 13th consecutive month.

Of the five brewers, Asahi and Kirin recorded shipment growth.

The others suffered drops on slack "happoshu" shipments.

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Source: Kyodo News International, Tokyo

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