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Suntory Eyes 5.4 Pct Rise in 2006 Beer, Quasi-Beer Sales

Posted on: Tuesday, 10 January 2006, 18:00 CST

Tokyo, Jan. 10 (Jiji Press)--Suntory Ltd. aims to increase sales of beer and quasi-beer products in 2006 by 5.4 pct from the previous year to 54.5 million cases, according to its liquor sales plan released Tuesday.

One case contains the equivalent of 20 633-milliliter bottles.

The plan targets sales of 16 million cases of new quasi-beer drinks, which have little or no malt content and are referred to as "third segment" beer products, up 19 pct, in spite of a tax increase of 3.8 yen per 350 milliliter can that was proposed in December by Japan's ruling coalition.

Suntory President Tadanobu Saji said the company expects Japan's economic recovery to offset any negative effect the tax increase may have on sales of the third-segment products.

The company plans to increase beer sales by 21.7 pct to 21.9 million cases, aiming to sell five million cases of its Premium Malt's, a fourfold increase.

Suntory will also renew its flagship beer, Malt's, to celebrate its 20th anniversary in the market and bolster sales, executive director Hiroshi Maruyama said. The renewed Malts will be launched on March 14, the company said.

The Japanese company, however, forecasts its sales of "happoshu" low-malt quasi-beer to decrease by 18.1 pct to 16.6 million cases.

Japan's overall sales of beer and happoshu are expected to decline by 3 to 6 pct, while those of third-segment beers are estimated to increase by 12 pct to help the entire beer and beer- like drink market limit its year-on-year sales decline to only one pct, Suntory added.END

Source: Jiji Press English News Service

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