ビール大手、海外へ

ビール大手が自社ブランド品で海外販売拡大を目指すという日経新聞の記事。日本勢は、新興国のビール市場で欧米勢に遅れている。ビール業界は国内マーケットがある程度のサイズだったから、必死になって海外市場に売り込む必要がなかったのだろうけど、もう限界なのか。オランダのハイネケンとか国内マーケットという概念自体が無い気がするから、マーケットを眺める視野が広い気もする。

"Cheers to a girl's best friend" from South China Morning Post

"Some of the finest things in life that we love, such as chocolates, beer and cheese, come from Belgium, a vibrant, beautiful country between France and the Netherlands."

"Antwerp is and always has been one of the major cities of Flanders, the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium. Situated on the banks of the River Scheldt, it has been a centre of commerce and culture since the Middle Ages.

The Antwerp diamond industry can be traced back to the 15th century. Its international port in the North Sea is one of the largest in Europe. About half an hour's drive from the Belgian capital, Brussels, headquarters of the European Union, it lies at the crossroads of international traffic."

"Belgium was one of the first countries with whom Hong Kong signed a Double Taxation Treaty to help companies avoid repeat taxation. This was mainly because a large number of companies were using Belgium as a gateway to Europe.

Mainland companies and banks are also focusing on Belgium. Recently, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the mainland's biggest bank, decided to open an office in Brussels, and Bank of China, the third-biggest bank on the mainland, has decided to follow suit. They are the first two mainland banks to set foot in the country."

"China Recources sticks to buying plan to flat growth" from South China Morning Post

"China Resources Enterprise, the state-backed consumer business conglomerate, said it will continue to undertake acquisitions within its core sectors of retail, beer, food and beverages."


"The beer division showed strong recovery in the third quarter, with a year-on-year earnings increase of 30.2 per cent to HK$526 million.

An increase in production capacity and more aggressive promotions drove China Resources' national beer brand Snow up 15 per cent to 7.05 million kilolitres, accounting for more than 90 per cent of beer sales for the first nine months.

The beverage business achieved growth of 44.8 per cent in year-on-year earnings in the third quarter, reaching HK$84 million."

"SABMiller's earnings bubble up" from South China Morning Post

"SABMiller, maker of Grolsch and Peroni beers, reported first-half profit that beat analysts' estimates on growth in all regions outside Europe, sending the shares to a record high."

"Tsingtao Brewery, the Chinese beer maker founded by German settlers more than a century ago, will acquire Shandong Xin Immense Brewery for 1.87 billion yuan (HK$2.18 billion)." from South China Morning Post

"San Miguel seeks to raise US$3b" from South China Morning Post

"San Miguel, the Philippines' largest food and drinks company, may sell about US$3 billion of shares in the first quarter of next year to fund bids for power and infrastructure projects. San Miguel, which began as a brewer in 1890, is seeking to accelerate expansion into industries including railways, energy, telecommunications and mining."

"Brewers and tobacco firms hard hit by downturn" from South China Morning Post

"Beer sales in Europe and North America rose in the recession of 2001 and 2002 for Heineken and Interbrew, the predecessor of Anheuser-Busch InBev, prompting InBev's finance chief, Felipe Durta, to remind investors of beer's status as "cheap entertainment" in a 2008 presentation."

But last year, the world's top four brewers all sold less beer than in 2008. Volumes in Europe and North America fell particularly sharply.

In some countries with a bar-drinking culture, consumers have opted en masse to drink at home. Britain's Punch Taverns this year announced plans to sell more pubs as it struggles to keep them profitable."

"The simple and irresistibly refreshing flavours of Tsingtao are extremely enjoyable with the savoury goose livers." from South China Morning Post