Increased pre-Christmas sales of Pilsner Urquell

People spend more at Christmas also in Poland

While overall beer sales have remained average in December, premium Pilsner Urquell beer has been sold in higher quantities than in the hottest summer months. Its sales keep growing now by 35 percent  more than the average monthly sales. The trend, according to which people spend more on premium beer during the holidays, can be spotted in neighbouring countries as well, including Poland. In recent years, Polish customers have been buying 10-15 percent more Pilsner Urquell lager than in other months.

“In Poland, similarly to our country, people tend to prefer local beer brands. Therefore, we appreciate it that they ever more often buy particularly Pilsner Urquell beer for their festive days. In the calendar year 2007, the overall year-on-year sales of Pilsner Urquell in Poland increased by 8 percent. This figure has been achieved even though Pilsner Urquell as a prestigious brand is more expensive there than its competitors, Heineken and Carlsberg,” says Jiří Mareček, spokesperson for Plzensky Prazdroj.

More about the Polish beer market and Pilsner Urquell

Polish customers have traditionally preferred spirits; however, beer consumption has been increasing lately. Today, Poland is the tenth strongest beer market in the world with sales of approximately 25 million hectolitres. Compared to Czech consumers, Poles seem to prefer strong beers: 5-6 volume percent alcohol represents a standard among Polish beers. Beer brewers have nicknamed Poland “the kingdom of canned beer” – more than 44 percent of beer is sold in cans, as against approximately 3 percent of canned beer sales in the Czech Republic.

The Pilsner Urquell brand has lately boosted its marketing activities in Poland. This is one of the reasons why Poles see Pilsner Urquell as a prestigious brand of high-quality beer for modern people.

Czechs instruct Poles how to drink beer

“Pilsner Urquell gives a chance to all existing and future fans of real beer”, writes the Polish daily Gazeta. The newly opened www.akademia.pilsner.pl , part of the main Pilsner Urquell Polish website, will guide all interested Poles through the art of serving and drinking beer of the Pilsner type, in such a way as only their southern neighbours have mastered. If a Polish barman wants to be sure that he or she taps the beer in the proper manner, all they have to do is to visit the web, and they will know the way.

Contact:

Jiri Marecek
Plzensky Prazdroj
+420 724 617 219

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• With total sales of more than 10.7 million hectolitres in the calendar year 2006 (including licensed production abroad) and exports to more than 50 countries throughout the world, Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s., is the leading beer producer in the region and the largest exporter of Czech beer
• Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s., is a member of the global group SABMiller plc. Pilsner Urquell is the international flagship of the portfolio of SABMiller brands Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s.
• SABMiller, plc, is one of the world's largest brewers, with brewing interests or distribution agreements in over 60 countries across six continents. The SABMiller brand portfolio consists of international brands such as Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro andPilsner Urquell, as well as almost 200 other successful regional and national brands. Outside the U.S., SABMiller is one of the world's largest producers and distributors of Coca-Cola products. In the financial year ending on 31 March 2007 the Company showed revenues of USD 18.620bn, and pre-tax profits in the amount of USD 3.591bn.

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