Poor Q3 results for the beer companies after a record bad summer

The Q3 of 2003 turned out not to be as prosperous as envisaged for beer producers. Sales were only 2.8% higher than those in the same period last year. The reason for the relatively poor results during the summer period, which is the most significant one for the beer industry, is say analysts, due to the decreasing wealth of the public. "Lowering the prices of beer, within profitability limits, will only be possible after the introduction of lower excise tax," said Danuta Gut, the head of the Beer Industry (ZPPP) Employers' Union. According to the President of Kompania Piwowarska, Paweł Sudoł, weaker summer results affected the annual sales of the company which only rose 1% - 3%, and not the 5% as earlier predicted. In comparison the increase in sales recorded in 2002 stood at 8%. From January-September this year 21.5 million hectoliters of beer were sold, 3.6% more than during the first nine months of 2002. (Puls Biznesu, p. 9) A.K.