In June 2024, 3.6 million liters of beer in kegs were imported into Russia, which is 18% more than in June 2023, according to the data of MRPT (operator of the “Honest Mark” labeling system).
Analysts note that deliveries from the EAEU countries increased by 29% year-on-year, to 690.8 thousand liters, from the rest – by 16%, to 2.9 million liters. Recovery of beer imports can be seen in retail chains as well.
According to NielsenIQ., in the period from May 2023 to May 2024, inclusive, the share of foreign beer in the sales structure increased from 5.5% to 6.8%, licensed (produced in Russia under foreign brands) – from 31.6% to 32 .5%.
In natural terms, sales in the categories added 28% and 11%, respectively. According to Eurostat, 26,700 tons of beer were imported from the EU to Russia in April, which is 15% more than a year earlier. While for January-April, the value decreased by 9.1% year-on-year, to 89.17 thousand tons.
Difficulties with the supply of imported beer to Russia began with the introduction of sanctions in 2022. For the period from May 2022 to May 2023, sales of foreign products decreased by 43% year-on-year, licensed – by 5%. The total consumption of beer in natural terms decreased by 1.7 percent.
With the resumption of imports, consumer activity in the segment again turned to growth: from May 2023 to May 2024, the total retail sales of beer grew by 3.6%.
Experts believe that the import of beer in kegs has already returned to normal, actually exceeding the indicators until 2022. At the same time, the main volume of foreign supplies is formed by Germany, Lithuania and Belgium.
Experts also attribute the positive dynamics of overall sales to the weather factor – the heat in the center and south of the Russian Federation stimulates the demand for beer, cider and mead.