Japan: In November alone, shipments of happoshu, the low-malt beer-like beverage, stood at 14.78 million cases, up 5 % from a year earlier and marking a first rise in two months. Beer shipments in November fell 8.8 % to 24.47 million cases, marking a 44th straight monthly decline. One case holds 12.66 liters of happoshu or beer. The annual shipment volume of happoshu is expected to fall on a year-on-year basis for the first time in 2003, following a May 1 tax hike and the unusually cool summer. But happoshu's decline will be less severe than that of beer, industry officials said. Since its debut in 1994, happoshu's low prices and wide product lineup has attracted a wealth of consumers.

Although the product has twice been hit by tax hikes, its popularity has endured amid manufacturers' efforts to expand product lineups to include items that appeal to health-conscious consumers, such as low-sugar happoshu and products enriched with dietary fiber, the officials said. "Happoshu has lost its initial image of an alcoholic drink for (consumers in the) lower-income bracket," an industry official said.

Cumulative shipments of happoshu for home consumption between January and November came to 176.94 million cases, 53.1% of the total shipments of beer and happoshu for home consumption. Beer shipments totalled 156.58 million cases, or 46.9%.

12 December, 2003