Australia | The country’s competition watchdog ACCC has raised concerns over the USD 11 billion deal by AB-InBev to sell its local unit CUB to Japan’s Asahi. AB-InBev acquired Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) from SABMiller in 2016.
Japan | Asahi Breweries will report beer sales by value rather than volume, starting with 2019 data. This will allow it to bow out of a costly battle for market share in Japan and free up resources for expansion abroad.
Australia | It is a ridiculous amount of money. Allegedly, CUB paid between AUD 150 million and AUD 200 million (USD 140 million) for craft brewer Balter, which could be selling 50,000 hl beer this year.
Thailand | Is this a first step towards some sort of merger with AB-InBev? Media reported on 29 November 2019 that Thai Beverage (ThaiBev), Southeast Asia’s major brewer, is planning to spin off some regional beer assets in an initial public offering (IPO) in Singapore next year.
Thailand | Given that valuations for pure-play brewers in Asia are higher than for brewers with a diversified beverage portfolio, it would make sense for ThaiBev to seek a separate listing for its beer interests in Thailand and Vietnam.
Vietnam | Euromonitor says that the beer scene in Southeast Asia is booming. Beer consumption is expected to grow 5 percent annually up to 2023 from 90 million hl in 2017, with the Philippines and Vietnam being the key drivers for growth.
Japan | The disgruntled UK-based investor FP has launched a campaign to persuade Kirin’s management to focus on beer, and ditch the “unrealistic hope” that it can thrive as a conglomerate that also includes food, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Australia | Japan’s brewer Kirin has tasked its Australian subsidiary Lion with buying craft brewers in the UK and United States. Observers wonder: Is this a coherent and considered strategy, which will prove profitable, or just a case of posting flags on a map?
Japan | A beer which actually reduces your beer belly could be the Next Big Thing. In October 2019, Kirin launched Kirin Karada Free, a functional “beer-taste beverage” in corporate speak, which doesn’t have any alcohol.
Australia | Nearly 30 years after leaving the brewery he founded, Phil Sexton is re-opening Matilda Bay as a boutique brewery in Healesville, near Melbourne, in partnership with Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), now owned by Asahi.