Alcohol Free Beers Are Enjoying Increasingly Popularity Amongst Consumers, As Well As Beer Mixes, which Focus on Younger and Female Customers, According to a New Study on ASDReports

Wednesday 30 July 2014, Amsterdam

Report description overview:

This report now available on ASDReports, highlights textual analysis revealing the drivers behind the data, and includes brand and packaging volume data along with values for distribution data. This report is an essential tool for key players across the region in the German Beer Market.

The difference:

• This report shows how an organizational failure caused leading and internal brewers to shed volume and value, delving into the details behind turbulence in the market.
• Gain an understanding of detailed data segmented by many attributes, giving you a cohesive picture of the market.
• Provides Insight into the implications behind the data, including the drivers of trends and the performance of brands and brewers, allowing you to identify opportunities and threats within the German market.

Report highlights:

For the beer industry in Germany, 2013 was a particularly turbulent year as positive developments were halted by a price fixing scandal including penalties by the Federal Cartel Authority, negative effects of the mediocre weather and price increases as well as the legionella breakout in Warstein.

However, alcohol-free beer variants are on the rise as the health-conscious lifestyle trend with the direction towards reduced alcohol consumption has led to a big leap of this sub-segment. While the beer market contracted noticeably driven by the unfavourable weather conditions, the alcohol-free sub-segment performed positively. More variation and noticeable marketing support stimulated the growth which helped balanced the losses of ‘normal’ leading beer brands. It is quite noteworthy that the new alcohol-free variants are positioned as fun and tasty alternatives, often promoted with lifestyle or sports-focused TV advertisement. Some alcohol-free variants are even positioned as isotonic drinks suitable for after sports consumption.

In addition, craft beer has not gaining a significant foothold, remaining very niche in Germany, with the media far more interested in the trend than consumers. The beers are perceived as specialties but not as everyday alternative to the existing product variety. Given the massive price promotion in which premium brands are available for less than €10 a crate, the comparatively high priced craft beers become relatively unattractive for the mainstream consumer. While craft beers are a very interesting development and enrich the German beer landscape, the volume generated within this niche is not comparable with the losses recorded due to the contracting market.