Beer producers expect growth amid sluggish market

“Romanian beer consumers’ preferences have changed in the last four years. They favor a traditional taste, a naturally fermented beer in a time span of four to six weeks,” he said.
However, Jan Derck van Karnebeek, managing director of Heineken Romania, is more reserved in his outlook on the market, in view of the current international and domestic economic difficulties. He believes that it is hard to predict the evolution of the beer market in 2011, as it depends on a range of elements, such as the evolution of the national economy, the level of consumer confidence, purchasing power and consumer behavior. However, Heineken Romania is determined to focus on long-term steady growth plans and to continue investing in its brands.
In turn, beer producers such as URBB and Ursus remain optimistic, as they continue to expand and promote their brands. “The total volume of beer sold by URBB in 2010 recorded an increase of three per cent as compared to the previous year,” said Doron Zilberstein, URBB’s marketing vice-president. “In 2011 we expect a 10 per cent growth in the volume of beverages sold by our company on three different markets - beer, soft drinks and water.”
With investments in their communication campaign, Ursus managed to keep its market share in terms of value last year. The company’s alcohol-free brand increased its market share in value and volumes four years in a row, while Ursus Black increased its sales volume more than twice, according to the financial results published by the company at the end of the fiscal year, in March 2011. “We remained steady on our decision to increase our market value, targeting a profitable evolution, instead of an increase in volumes at all costs. Our main priorities include developing our brands, as well as providing new experiences to consumers, such as the unfiltered beer, which will be available at our production unit in Cluj,” said Gary Whitlie, president of Ursus Breweries. He added that the company would also focus on improving its efficiency and productivity, while improving its financial activity at the same time, which would lead to a better and more profitable growth.