Belgium: AB InBev criticised for ‘by one get one free’ promo for its Jupiler lager

Multinational drink and brewing company AB InBev is facing criticism for a recently launched ‘buy one get one free’ promotion on Jupiler lager, The Brussels Times reported on January 15.

In several Belgian supermarkets, the purchase of a 33cl bottle of Jupiler lager now comes hand in hand with a second free 33cl bottle.

This is “a bad thing,” Marijs Geirnaert, director of The Flemish Centre of Expertise for Alcohol and other Drugs (VAD), told Nieuwsblad, adding that “price is critical when it comes to alcohol consumption.”

With this promotion, two crates of 24 33cl bottles of Jupiler lager cost €15.99, rather than the price of €31.98 that would apply without the ‘one-for-one’ discount. That amounts to just less than €1 for a litre of beer.

“It’s a shame,” added Geirnaert, director of the VAD. “Only three things are needed to lower our alcohol consumption: raising the age limit, limiting alcohol advertising and raising the price. A number of years ago, the price of spirits rose sharply … and we saw that consumption decreased. The price increase was not implemented for wine and beer, so people are more likely to go back to the traditional lager.”

Following on from disappointing quarterly figures at the end of 2019, the fact that AB InBev hopes to boost its beer sales in 2020 is well-known. In Belgium, beer consumption fell for five years in a row until it rose up again in 2018 by 0.1%.

The brewing group have already used similar types of promotions before, Laure Stuyck, AB InBev spokesperson, told 7 sur 7, when asked about the recent discount.

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