Japan & United States: Sapporo looking to acquire a premium beer brand

Japan’s beer maker Sapporo Holdings is considering the acquisition of a premium beer brand in the United States as it looks to expand its North American market share and offset declining demand in Japan, Yoshiyuki Mochida, head of Sapporo’s international operations, was quoted as saying by Reuters on November, 29.

The maker of “Yebisu” and “Sapporo” beer is also aiming for a more than 10 percent market share in Vietnam, where it plans to build a factory and start selling beer in 2012, Yoshiyuki Mochida said.

Sapporo, the smallest of Japan’s four major breweries, acquired in 2006 Canada’s Sleeman brewery and has been selling Sapporo beer as a premium brand in the United States.

“It would complete our premium brand portfolio of Sapporo U.S.A.,” Mochida said of a possible U.S. acquisition.

“In my head, there are a couple of brands, and I have been talking to the heads of these companies.”

01 December, 2010