Beer consumption in Serbia is down by 33 per cent compared to 2008, with effects of the economic crisis have impacted purchasing power.
Speaking to the Tanjug news agency, the CEO of local brewer Apatinska Pivara (part of Molson Coors Europe), Dragan Radivojevic, said that beer consumption in 2014 amounted to four million hectolitres, compared to six million in 2008.
Other negative factors, according to Radivojevic, are the continued exodus from the country of young people, who are the top consumers, and the problem of the ageing population.
The high unemployment rate among young people is an additional problem not only for the beer industry, but also for other industries and the country as a whole.
On the other hand, there has been an increase in sales of cheaper beer, whose price has fallen since the beginning of the year by around 4 per cent, contributing to a worse financial performance of Serbian breweries compared to previous years.
Although other countries in the Former Yugoslavia region have seen a decline in beer sales due to the crisis, Radivojevic said that this drop is far lower than in Serbia and amounts to between five and seven per cent.
Despite the doom and gloom, Serbian brewers hope to make the most of the annual Belgrade Beer Fest, taking place from 19-23 August. In the previous 12 years, the event hosted over 6.7 million visitors, who had an opportunity to taste over 200 domestic and foreign beers and listen to free music.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
