the brewery
5*
still manages
to strenghten its
market position
Good times
O
DELIVERY
'unCorked' by launching it nationally. The success of Heineken
Beer was also spectacular: it became the fastest growing lager in
Ireland and is now the number one lager in the Irish beer market.
The 1980s saw the start of a real revolution in drinking habits in
the traditional beer country. Young people no longer wanted to
drink the same beer as their parents and lagers were easier to
drink. Hence the market share of stout and ale began to decline.
Stout currently accounts for only 40% of the Irish beer market.
Last year the share of lager in the market grew to 51%. The market
share of ales is now a mere 8%.
Last year Ireland was able to look back on a decade of unbridled
economic growth. The country was seen as the Singapore of
Western Europe, as the purchasing power of the population grew.
Visits to the pub increased each year. However, with the current
per capita consumption rate of 142 litres in decline, it is clear that
the 40% increase of overall alcohol consumption in the last
decade could not be sustained.
Beer consumption reached a turning point in 2003. The much