Budweiser Budvar has re-established its export to the Netherlands

Budweiser Budvar, N.C. has dispatched its first juggernaut with Budweiser Budvar Premium Lager to the Netherlands today, returning to the Dutch market after 6 years. The shipment contains 0.33 and 0.5 litre bottles along with kegs. Within several weeks, Budweiser Budvar Premium Lager will appear on shop counters as well as drawn in several restaurants. In the face of the local beer market’s forwardness and demanding customers, Holland represents a very interesting export destination.

“The Netherlands embodies a very attractive export territory for us. Local consumers are very demanding as far as the beer quality is concerned and on top of that, they like beer specialties. Besides, they can appreciate beer of good quality and are willing to pay a corresponding price for it,” says Budweiser Budvar's business manager for Benelux Dominika Kovaříková. A wide range of beer trademarks is available in the Dutch market. At the same time, they enjoy trying imported beer specialties, which is also confirmed by the share of imported beers in the Netherlands - specifically 20%. Compared to the Czech Republic, the share in Holland is ten times higher; the average beer consumption per capita is however lower in the Netherlands, amounting to 78.5 litres p.a.

“Our cooperation with the Netherlands has been re-established after six years. The reason for this break lay in difficulties finding a suitable partner, who would meet our demanding requirements and together with us would manage to promote the interests and strategy of our re-launched trademark within a strongly profiled market,” adds Dominika Kovaříková. An ideal importer must be financially stable, successful in the long-term and highly experienced in the retail of premium beers as well as prove to the brewery to have apprehended Budweiser Budvar trademark’s values and to be able to sell this product successfully in the future.

Budweiser Budvar exported a total of 580,000 hectolitres of beer to 58 countries last year, which is practically the same volume as in 2008. The result can be considered a very good one with regard to the anticipated fall in the Czech beer export by more than 10%. Budweiser Budvar Brewery thus increased its share on the Czech export onto 18-20%. The best results in 2009 were accomplished in Germany (increase by 9%), Slovakia (increase by 6%) and Austria (increase by 6%). Newly the brewery began to export to the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and Kosovo.