Żywiec leads the pack, with 16% sales growth for H1

Domestic beer sales grew by 0.5% in the first half of 2004, according to Grupa Żywiec brewery, which during the same period managed to boost its sales by as much as 16%. The dynamic growth is attributed mainly to the acquisition of additional brands, such as Królewskie and Kujawiak, from Brau Union Polska. Representatives of Żywiec say that the company would still be ahead of the industry average in terms of growth even if the acquisitions were not taken into account, and it remains the market leader, with a 37% market share. Grupa Żywiec president Nico Nusmeier announced that the publicly-listed holding will continue its growth dynamic throughout the rest of the year. During the first six months of this year, Żywiec showed an operational profit of zł.171.3 million and zł.134.2 million in net profits on revenues of zł.1.7 billion. (Parkiet, p. 4) A.K.