Competing brewers find profits and consumption up in first three quarters

Polish breweries recorded a 7% sales increase in the first 10 months of this year compared to last year. Grupa Zywiec, consisting of Zywiec, Warka, Lezajsk and Elbrewery, continues to hold first place among brewers. Grupa Zywiec sold about 6.55 million hectoliters of beer by the end of October, with 31.4% market share of the estimated 20.7 million hectoliters sold during the period. It should be mentioned, however, that the group posted 10% higher sales last year. The most serious competition comes from Kompania Piwowarska's Lech and Tychy breweries, selling 5.9 million hectoliters during the first 10 months of this year, recording a 38.5% of sales increase and controlling a 28.5% market share. Brau-Union, with Kujawiak, Browary Warszawskie and Van Pur, is strengthening its market position and is currently third on the market., recording almost 1.4 million hectoliters of beer sold, pushing Okocim to a close fourth place. Polish beer producers will likely sell about 24 million hectoliters of beer this year, up from the 22.5 million hectoliters last year.(Puls Biznesu, p.4)