After years of growth in the Swiss beer market, the beer year 2019/2020 ended with a minus of 2.2 percent. This is mainly due to the Corona crisis and the associated restrictions in the gastronomy sector.
Beer sales via the catering trade fell by 23.1 per cent, which affected breweries with a high proportion of catering trade in particular.
While sales in the catering trade are still around 30 per cent, sales in the retail trade grew to 70 per cent (+ 7.6%). Foreign beers in particular benefited from this, increasing their sales for the first time in five consecutive years.
Non-alcoholic beers on the rise
A brewing year lasts from the first of October to 30 September. The start of the 2019/20 brewing year (October to December 2019) was quite respectable. The final spurt after the national lockdown until the end of September 2020 was also respectable.
But the fact is that we are approaching the cold season and the alternative options for enjoying beer are no longer as varied as in summer with garden restaurants, lakes, mountains etc.
A small ray of hope: With a growth of 10.3 per cent, non-alcoholic beers were also able to grow strongly this year. Non-alcoholic beers now account for 4.2 percent of the total market.
Swiss Brewers Association
bier.swiss
