Portugal: Beer sales grow 19% in value and 15% in volume in January-June this year

The beer category recorded €1.46 billion worth of sales in Portugal in the half-year to June 2019, with 473 million litres sold in the period, according to Nielsen data.

This equates to 19% value growth and 15% volume growth; the largest growth levels recorded at any time over the past decade.

The HoReCa channel remains the most relevant, with 80% of beer value sales (€4 out of every €5) and two thirds of volume sales taking place through the channel.

According to Nielsen’s Client Development Manager, Tiago Aranha, the growth of the category is related to the "greater preference among Portuguese consumers for out-of-home consumption, associated with leisure activities".

Some 30% of Portuguese spend their extra money on out-of-home entertainment, compared to 12% in 2013.

Another important factor to consider is around promotions, with 70% of beer sales in the retail channel now sold on promotion, compared to 67% the previous year.

Seasonality also continues to play a significant role when it comes to beer sales.

According to Nielsen, 42% of sales volume in 2018 occurred in the summer months (June to September) and this period represented a significant part of sales in both the Retail (47%) and the HoReCa channels (39%).

The reasons for the increase in consumption in this period are mainly due to factors such as better weather

Beer is consumed by more than 77% of total households in Portugal, and is purchased on average 9.5 times per year.

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