LIL' BUDDY'S BLOG - Imported Beer Sales Losing Their Head? Sales of Import Leader Corona Off!
THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG!
Hey, you dogs!
As you see me in this picture, taken during the heat of last summer, you might assume my tongue hanging out due to the high temperatures.
But you would be soooo wrong!
Actually, my Human Daddy, Team Leader Dean, was enjoying a cold beer in a frosty glass that day. And, I like any red-blooded American Male Dog - got thirsty! (Couldn't drink any though - you see, I was only three years old, and, besides that, I left my ID in my other fur!)
His beer of choice on that Hot Summer Day? Corona Extra - that wonderfully thirst-quenching stuff Imported from Mexico. You know, of course, he only enjoys, responsibly, Chicago Fave Old Style Beer from the Left Field Bleachers at Chicago Cub Games at Wrigley Field each Spring and Summer.
As reported by Mike Hughlett in today's Chicago Tribune, Corona has been the leading imported beer in the United States since it passed Dutch Beer Heineken back in 1997. All of us dogs easily recognize the Corona TV Ads, set alluringly on tropical beaches, yes?
But today, with more-expensive imported beer sales sluggish, perhaps as a result of the economic downturn, shipments of imported Corona Beer fell 4.6% last year - the second consecutive decline for Corona shipments. Further, the beer lost overall market share as well - from 3.9% back in 2006, to 3.6% today. Corona sales outpaced many cheaper competitors last year, however, including such stalwart brands as Michelob, Miller High Life, and Miller Genuine Draft.
Of imported beers, Corona is still the king, with a 28.4% market share, versus a 17.8% share for competitor Heineken. (Statistics from Beer Marketer's Insights).
But increasing competition from domestic craft-brewed beers, such as Sam Adams and Fat Tire, have eroded the imports' overall market share, even at a time when the beer category as a whole is holding its own despite a tough economy. Indeed, Domestic Craft Beers enjoyed market growth of about 8% last year - although that growth rate has been cut in half since 2007.
Then there is Budweiser's Bud Lime, which debuted in May, 2008, and outsold Corona for the year. No one knows if lime-flavored beer is only a passing fancy, but it was clear the beer was targeted at those young Corona drinkers who often shove a slice of lime into the necks of their Corona bottles. (You dogs, note - Team Leader Dean never does this, preferring instead to enjoy his Corona Au-Natural, you know!)
As warmer weather in Chicago approaches, you may ask yourself, "Is Corona Extra a beer on the way down?"
I can't legally answer that question, you dogs! You know, now I am only 3 1/2 years old - way too young to swill one!
Enjoy the weekend!
YOUR ACE REPORTER ON FOUR PAWS,
BUDDY HOLLY MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
