Beer sales slip across Europe; pricey brands down in U.S.

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Beer sales slip across Europe; pricey brands down in U.S.

By Jane Wardell, AP Business Writer
LONDON — Britons may be reeling from the international financial crisis, but few are crying into their beer.
Beer sales are falling as the economy worsens, defying predictions in some quarters that consumers would switch to drinking cheap supermarket booze at home even if they did shun more expensive pubs and bars.
The British Beer and Pub Association reported Monday that total beer sales fell about 7% in the third quarter — the equivalent of 161 million fewer pints (20 million liters) compared with the same period in 2007.
Sales of the iconic British pint in pubs have been in decline for years, leading to the closure of thousands of inns around the country.
But the association's Quarterly Beer Barometer reveals that the downturn has now broadened to supermarket sales, which have until now held up as grocers attracted consumers with packs of beer at lower cost.

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Mark Harvey


Beer Advocate