Beer sales - Veltins: Football-EM effect is blown up for breweries
Despite the eager fans, the Football European Championship brought no good business for German breweries, according to an estimation by Veltins. Due to the rainy weather and a general consumption restraint, the beer sales in Germany in June were approximately eight million hectoliters, and even lower than in the previous month, the brewery in Schmallenberg in Sauerland stated.
"The Football-EM effect has flopped for the breweries," says Veltins' Power of Attorney Michael Huber. Although more beer was consumed in some cities' gas stations at certain times, these were local effects.
Breweries sell only about a sixth of their beer in Germany to the gastronomy, the lion's share of their business comes from trading. Consumers, according to Veltins, have held back in supermarkets and beverage markets. The comparison with the "Summer Fairy Tale" 2006 is disappointing: At that time, the beer sales in June were estimated to be around 11 million hectoliters, three million more than in June of this year.
People have not gathered in large numbers to "Rudelgucken" (watching football together) during the course of the tournament, but rather watched football alone at home and drank relatively little beer, Huber says. "That's different from inviting the neighbors for a barbecue and drinking beer with them."
June Disappoints Expectations
Veltins also presented figures, according to which the family business sold about four percent more beer in the first half of 2024 than in the previous business year. The total output was estimated to be around 1.7 million hectoliters. However, Veltins also recorded a minus in June.
The Brewery has 721 employees, the headquarters are in Meschede-Grevenstein in the Hochsauerlandkreis. Among the major German competitors are the Oetker subsidiary Radeberger and Oettinger, Bitburger, and Warsteiner.
- Despite the European Football Championship, VELTINS estimated that German breweries experienced poor business, with beer sales in June 202X only reaching around eight million hectoliters.
- Huber, the Power of Attorney for VELTINS, mentioned that although beer sales increased slightly in some city gas stations, it was a local effect that did not contribute significantly to overall sales.
- During the tournament, instead of gathering in large groups to "Rudelgucken" and consume beer together, soccer fans opted to watch football at home alone and drink less beer, according to Huber.
- Despite the disappointing beer sales during the European Football Championship, VELTINS, a German brewery, reported an increase of around four percent in beer sales in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year.
- Positioned among major German competitors such as Radeberger, Oettinger, Bitburger, and Warsteiner, the VELTINS Brewery, located in Meschede-Grevenstein, has a workforce of 721 employees.
