Germany: Czech Budweiser Budvar - the most sold imported beer despite high price

A regular audit by the Nielsen agency in retailed stores has confirmed the Budweiser Budvar trademark’s excellent position in Germany, the Czech brewer Budějovický Budvar reported on September, 7.

In the first six months of 2010, Budweiser Budvar Premium Lager was the most sold imported beer in German retail and at the same time the most expensive Czech trademark sold in German stores.

Budweiser Budvar had a 13% share of the overall sales of imported beer in Germany during the first six months of 2010, which represents a year-on-year increase by 1%, Nielsen data show.

“We have amazingly loyal customers in Germany, who consider our trademark a premium one, as well as credible with an excellent image, therefore are willing to pay a higher price for the enjoyment of our beer corresponding with its quality, even in these uncertain times of fading recession,” says Budweiser Budvar’s sales manager for Germany Dominika Kovaříková.

A 0.5 litre bottle of Budweiser Budvar costs 80 eurocents on average in a German retail store whereas a regular beer of German origin retails at about 40 eurocents a bottle.

The sales in Germany are provided by the subsidiary Budweiser Budvar Importgesellschaft mbH located in Erfurt, which has been very successful in the recent years. In 2009, the sales volume of Budweiser Budvar Premium Lager amounted to 204,755 hectolitres, which represents a year-on-year increase by 9.3 %. The overall beer consumption in Germany, however, decreased by 3% last year, according to the German Brewers Association. The beer consumption in Germany has been falling in the long term – 142 litres of beer were consumed by the Germans per capita in 1990; last year it was only about 106 litres. “To retain such results in the future, very hard work lies ahead of us. The competition in Germany is enormous and furthermore, no one yet knows, if the economic revitalisation is going to be permanent,” adds Dominika Kovaříková.

Traditionally, Germany is the most important export territory for Budweiser Budvar Premium Lager, having about a 1/3 share of the brewery’s overall export in the long term.

At the same time, the Budweiser Budvar trademark ranks amongst the best known Czech trademarks in the world. Budweiser Budvar Premium Lager, which is also sold under the names of “Budějovický Budvar” or “Czechvar” in some countries, had a 17% share of the overall Czech beer export last year. 516,000 hectolitres of this beer in bottles, kegs and cans headed for customers in nearly 60 countries.

24 September, 2010