Italian beer sales grew by 4% during the first six months of 2018 against the same period last year, according to AssoBirra's quarterly report.
AssoBirra is an association that represents more than 70% of the Italian beer market. It brings together about 40 large, medium and small breweries, as well as two malt producers.
Crucial Season For Beer
While the year started strongly, AssoBirra says that May-September accounts for almost 50% of total annual beer sales in Italy.
According to AssoBirra president Michele Cason, Italy is the tenth-largest brewing country in Europe, with 7,000 SKUs in the category.
Cason added that the priorities of the sector "are a reduction in the tax burden and the approval of a reform of the beer law that dates back to 1962", which must take into account the evolution of brewing culture in Italy.
Italy's Booming Beer Industry
In recent years, special beers and microbreweries have grown in Italy, with young brewers taking up craft-beer production as a profession.
Moreover, investments made in 2017 resulted in employment growth in the brewery sector.
Italian beer exports reached an all-time high in 2017 (2.7 million hectolitres), up 7.9% on 2016.
Last year, production of beer touched a record high of 15.6 million hectolitres (+7.5%), while a significant decline in imports was also recorded.
Domestic consumption has also seen steady growth, with per-head consumption reaching record levels, of 31.8 litres.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
