President Hideki Horiguchi (right) and Executive Officer and Marketing Manager Keizo Imamura (left). We took a commemorative photo in front of the “Spring Valley” series, which will be renewed in 2024.
Kirin Brewery held a press conference on the 11th to announce its 2024 business policy. In anticipation of the unification of tax rates for beer, low-malt beer, and third-party beer (a new genre) in 2026, we aim to do so by the end of the year.Launching a new brand of standard beer for the first time in 17 yearsannounced.
Developing a new brand following “Ichiban Shibori”
Strategies for each brand announced by Kirin Brewery.
“As the narrowly defined beer category grows due to the revision of the Liquor Tax Law, we would like to develop it by positioning it as the beer brand second only to Shibori.”
Kirin Brewery President Hideki Horiguchi spoke about the new brand as follows.
In October 2023, the Liquor Tax Law was revised (beer tax reduction), and the tax rate on beer was lowered, making the tax rate on the third type of beer the same as that of low-malt beer. In 2026, the tax rate will change further, and beer will be taxed at the same rate as happoshu and third-class beer.
Beer companies are launching new products in October 2023. In October 2023, Asahi Breweries will release “Asahi Super Dry His Dry Crystal” with an alcohol content of 3.5%. Around the same time, Kirin Brewery also released a new product under its craft beer Spring Valley brand.
The new brand aims to strengthen the beer category in anticipation of the unification of tax rates in 2026. Kirin’s main beer brand is Ichiban Shibori, but the company will promote and develop new brands in a similar price range that are not derivatives of existing brands.
Details such as the release date, price, and target of the new brand have not been disclosed at this time.
Keizo Imamura, Marketing Manager
“We are working on various initiatives to unify the liquor tax.As the demand for beer in a narrow sense increases, we would like to take on the challenge of increasing the value of beer in a uniquely Kirin way.”
I said.
Results for 2023 are negative compared to the market.
Hideki Horiguchi, president of Kirin Brewery.
In 2023, cumulative sales of beer totaled 113.9 million cases, down 5.9% from the previous year. Sales of RTDs such as chu-hi were 50.5 million cases, down 2.4%, and non-alcoholic drinks were 3.4 million cases, down 6.6%. In all categories, the overall market was between -1% and +2%, but the results were somewhat difficult.
President Horiguchi explains that this is due to revisions to the Liquor Tax Law and the company’s sales composition.
In the narrow sense of beer, the tax amount decreased, and the sales volume of “Ichiban Shibori” increased by 5.9% from the previous year to 24 million cases, while the third beer, “Honkirin”, whose tax rate increased, decreased by 9.6 million cases to 15.3 million cases. % and affected. Sales of the Spring Valley series of craft beers, which the company is focusing on, increased by 0.1% to 1.7 million cases.
In 2024, in addition to releasing new beer brands, the company will renew its craft beer Spring Valley and its third beer, Honkirin. Although the sales target for Honkirin is negative compared to the previous year, we believe that there will be solid demand even though the price difference with beer has narrowed.
“We need to firmly support the new genre (Honkirin).We need to actively invest in beer.We will firmly strengthen our strategies in many areas and take on challenges not only this year but also towards 2026. ” (President Horiguchi)
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Source: BusinessInsider
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