Convenience Store Beer Sales Frothier

[george]

Convenience store beer sales frothier

BANGKOK: Sales of beer by the glass - or paper cup - at convenience stores are taking off, say distributors.

Carlsberg is going head-to-head with Heineken in the draught-beer market by placing dispensers in FamilyMart, where customers pay Bt39 for 400ml servings.

The first Carlsberg dispensers installed at the convenience stores by AsiaBev Co have been pouring between 10 and 20 servings a day. They have been placed in 16 FamilyMart outlets in areas that have high tourist traffic, including Khao San Road, Soi Nana and Phloenchit Road.

Beer in the dispenser stays fresh for up to seven days.

AsiaBev belongs to Charoen Siriwadhanabhakdi. In addition to Carlsberg, AsiaBev markets Macarthurs, Kulov, and lines from the Maxxium group.

Heineken is also expanding in the draught-beer market with dispensers and kegs planned for an initial 200 small restaurants this year, and up to 400 next year.

Heineken's Bt50,000 dispensers use technology from the Netherlands, which will keep the beer fresh for up to 21 days, said Panya Pongtanya for the distributor, Thai Asia Pacific Brewery Co.

Thirawit said AsiaBev was marketing its draught Carlsberg intensively, as it brought high revenues for his company and was well able to compete with Heineken.

"We are the follower in this market, so we need to do something that our competitors haven't thought of or don't want to do. We see that Carlsberg has good potential," said Thirawit.

He described using FamilyMart as a distribution channel as beneficial to both parties and denied rumours that Charoen Siriwadhanabhakdi planned to take over FamilyMart.

Other new distribution avenues being pursued by AsaiBev include a delivery service for party kegs. The price for these dispensers is Bt2,200 each, with a further Bt600 for two waiters. Thirawit said demand has exceeded expectations, as customers are ordering between two and four tanks for each party, not the single dispenser AsiaBev expected.

There are also plans to develop the beer-garden concept at Central World Plaza by selling Carlsberg in 3-litre jugs or in novelty glasses that customers can take home as souvenirs.

Thirawit said Carlsberg sales this year had grown by about 10 per cent, giving it a 25-per-cent share of the premium-beer market. Next year, sales are expected to grow a further 10 per cent.

--The Nation 2003-12-08