The German brewer, Holsten Brauerei, said sales of canned and bottled beer had fallen by 20% during the first 12 days of the year although sales in glass bottles had increased. But the brewer said it was now considering introducing shorter working hours for around 600 of its 2,643 staff for a six-month period. "We don't know whether this purchasing restraint is because people stocked up on beer before Christmas or because they've gone off beer altogether," Holsten spokesman Udo Franke said.

24 January, 2003