Oettinger brewery focuses increasingly on non-alcoholic drinks
Due to the difficult situation on the German beer market, the Oettinger brewery now wants to produce more soft drinks. By 2026, the share of non-alcoholic beverages should account for around 40 percent of sales, announced CEO Stefan Blaschak. This is roughly double the current share.
Oettinger will "change from a brewer to a beverage producer", said Blaschak, who took over the management of the family business in the summer, commenting on the new strategy. The export share is also set to increase from the current one third to around half of turnover during this period, as the company reported on Friday.
According to its own information, Oettinger is one of the largest beverage producers in Germany with a production of around eight million hectoliters. The brewery, founded in 1731, has around 800 employees. In addition to its headquarters in Oettingen, Swabia, it also has breweries in Mönchengladbach in North Rhine-Westphalia and Braunschweig in Lower Saxony.
Oettinger is known for its inexpensive beer. The company traditionally refrains from advertising and supplying the catering trade in order to save costs. The beer market has been stagnating for years, explained Blaschak. "We believe that the zeitgeist is shifting a little."
German beer market has been shrinking for years
Breweries have been struggling with a shrinking beer market in Germany for years. According to the Federal Statistical Office, beer sales in Germany also fell in the first half of 2023 - by 2.9% compared to the same period last year. In contrast, the production of non-alcoholic beer has doubled within ten years.
However, Oetinger's old values should remain. "We say high quality at a fair price," said Blaschak. Oettinger also wants to consciously set itself apart from competitors advertised on television, for example, in the future. "We are certainly almost 60 percent cheaper than the fancy beers."
Last year, Oettinger sold the brewery in Gotha, Thuringia. After production there was initially to be closed due to the "negative development of sales volumes in the beer market", Paulaner from Munich finally took over the site at the turn of the year.
According to the last annual balance sheet published by Oettinger in the Federal Gazette, the company generated sales of just under 324 million euros and a loss of around 3.8 million euros in 2021.
Despite Oettinger's focus on non-alcoholic drinks, their inexpensive beer remains a part of their identity. However, with the German beer market continuing to shrink, they might Consider diversifying their offerings to include more non-alcoholic options, such as soft drinks and perhaps even non-alcoholic versions of their popular beers, like Oettinger Beer without alcohol.
Source: www.dpa.com
