Japan: July beer shipments decline 9.3%

Japan’s beer and quasi-beer shipments in July dropped 9.3 percent from a year before to about 43 million cases, the lowest ever for the month, data from major brewers showed on August, 10.

The weak shipments came as the rainy season ended later than usual and bad weather continued until mid-July.

Beer shipments fell 10.1 percent to about 22.66 million cases, while shipments of happoshu low-malt quasi-beer were down 15 percent at about 5.84 million cases, Daily Yomiuri reported.

Shipments of so-called third-segment beverages, which have little or no malt content, declined 5.5 percent to about 14.47 million cases.

Each case contains the equivalent of 20 633-milliliter bottles.

Following the slump in July, typically the busiest month for brewers, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., Kirin Holdings Co. and Sapporo Holdings Ltd. announced in August downward revisions to their annual sales forecasts.

But Suntory Holdings Ltd. left its sales target unchanged, thanks to brisk sales of The Premium Malt's beer.

15 August, 2012