According to Eurostat the number of unemployed grew to 75,420 by the end of 2008, making 9.2 pct of working age population, aripaev.ee writes.
By the end of first half of 2008 the jobless rate was 4.7 pct. That number doubled in the other half of the year.
In November the Ministry of Finance forecasted this year’s jobless rate to be 8.6 pct and that will grow to 9.3 in 2010.
Source: Baltic Business News
In the opinion of the Estonian beverages maker A. Le Coq the company passed its main rival, Saku Olletehas, in terms of market share in November and December.
Tarmo Noop, CEO of the company, told BNS that the headway was marginal and that calculated for the whole year Saku was still ahead of A. Le Coq in terms of market share.
According to AC Nielsen the best sold brand of beer in retail sales last year was A. Le Coq Premium bottled by the A. Le Coq brewery.
Market share of the Premium was nearly half as high as that of Saku Originaal in October and November. In all the market share of Premium was nearly 13 percent of the beer market.
Saku stopped providing sales figures to the brewers` association last January.
The owner of Saku Olletehas is the Danish brewer Carlsberg, while A. Le Coq belongs to Finland`s Olvi.
In December 2008 compared to December of the previous year the retail sales of goods of retail trade enterprises decreased 9 pct at constant prices, Estonian Statistics announced.
In December, the retail sales of goods of retail trade enterprises were 5.2 billion kroons. Compared to December 2007, the retail sales of goods decreased in most economic activities. The decrease in the retail sales of goods was most influenced by the stores selling manufactured goods, where the retail sales of goods decreased 15% compared to the same month of the previous year. The retail sales in stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear and also the stores selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials decreased the most. Only stores selling pharmaceutical goods and cosmetics, the retail sales of which increased 12% during the year, could attain the growth in retail sales compared to the same month of the previous year. The growth in retail sales of pharmaceutical goods was caused by the increase of the value added tax of medicines since 2009.
The price increase of food products that slowed down during the last months of 2008 has not brought along the increase of sales volume in stores selling foodstuffs. The retail sales in stores selling food decreased 4% compared to the previous year. The consumers were still price sensitive and limited their daily expenditures.
In December compared to November, the retail sales in retail trade enterprises increased by a fifth at constant prices. This is a characteristic rise of December, when Christmas marketing is taking place.
In December the revenue from sales of retail trade enterprises was 5.9 billion kroons, out of which retail sales of goods accounted for about 90%. Compared to December 2007, the revenue from sales decreased 7% at current prices. Compared to November 2008, this indicator increased 16%.
According to the preliminary data the retail sales of retail trade enterprises were 55.6 billion kroons in 2008, compared to 2007 the retail sales decreased 4% at constant prices.
The Estonian beverage house Saku Olletehas said on Thursday it will cut 16 jobs and apply part-time work and partially paid leave in its production department from Jan. 26 to March 31.
“We believe that these changes in the organization will allow Saku to better adapt itself to the changing market situation, which is affected mainly by the economic decline and the increase in excise duty in Estonia,” Saku’s CEO Veli Pekka Tennila said. Tennila added that five former employees of Saku have taken up jobs with the company’s help with PowerWave AS, a cooperation partner of Saku. Carlsberg, the owner of Saku Olletehas, announced on Thursday that it will lay off at least 270 employees in Denmark, Norway and the Baltic states in the course of restructuring.’
Carlsberg said that in the Baltic countries it was responding to decreased sales figures with a sped-up restructuring plan, as a result of which the number of employees will be reduced by 124 in addition to the 80 cuts announced in October. The layoffs will take place during the first quarter of the year. (Reuters)
It seems that beverages are more exposed to worse economic conditions as one might think. We expect also Olvi’s profitability to be affected (sales mix to worsen). So far A Le Coq’s beer volumes have been increasing, even though the aggregate sales have been declining
in Estonia.*Negative news for Olvi
More info: Carlsberg’s announcement
According to AC Nielsen research company A.Le Coq Premium is the best selling beer brand in retail trade, clearly outracing other competing beer brands since the beginning of 2008.
According to research conducted by AC Nielsen on consumer preferences in October and November the market share of A.Le Coq Premium in retail trade has enjoyed the leader position since the beginning of 2008 and the distance between A.Le Coq Premium and the second brand – Saku Original – has gradually increased. In terms of sales in October and November the market share of A.Le Coq Premium is almost half as much as that of Saku Original.
In October and November A.Le Coq Premium saw a 15% increase as compared to the situation a year ago, thus achieving a firm leader position and reaching a market share of approximately 13% on the retail trade beer market.
According to Tarmo Noop, Head of A. Le Coq, A.Le Coq Premium is of the largest share in the total A. Le Coq beer portfolio, forming 35% of the total sales of beer of the company. “As compared to the sales results of 2007, the volume of sales litres of Premium has increased a bit, which we consider a very good result taking account of the present economic situation and the general reduction trend on the beer market,” said Noop. He continued: “We uphold the constant development of Premium and contribute a lot both to marketing as well as package innovation.” According to Noop, this year the company also plans innovations with regard to their number one brand – Premium.
The total sales of the company in 2008 was 125.17 mln litres, and the segment which has increased in volume is A. Le Coq beers and ciders. The sales of other segments have remained the same or decreased to some extent as compared to sales in 2007. According to Noop the reason for the decrease in sales is the general reduction in consumption and the bad weather that we had in summer.
In the first 11 months of this year A. Le Coq beer sales exceeded last year’s result by over 300,000 litres despite the general market recession trend. At the same time, the 11-month analysis of the alcohol excise duty proceeds compiled by the Estonian Breweries Association indicates a general beer sales decrease of 6%. Despite the beer market decline, A. Le Coq predicts stability for high-quality beers coupled with an even faster drop in sales of strong beers.
According to Tarmo Noop, Director of A. Le Coq, the beer sales volume increase after a considerable price hike and in the context of the general market decline trend is truly a remarkable result. “Maintaining a stable sales level in the current economic situation is a form of art and even the smallest of rises are very pleasing indeed,” said Noop. He added that, in view of the overall beer sales volume decrease, A. Le Coq’s sales volume increase in excess of 300,000 litres over last year is highly commendable. “We have actually increased our market share and will try to continue doing so,” Noop expressed optimism.
According to Noop, the beer market recession trend has been predictable from the beginning of this year. “I believed that the market would decrease by about 5% and the excise duty proceeds analysis and other summaries indicate approximately the same percentage,” added Noop.
Noop pointed out that the strong beer production decline trend will continue and the Premium beer share will grow. “Although the beer prices have been raised and consumers are now more budget-oriented, they do value high-quality beer and do not want to cut corners in this respect,” remarked Noop. “The increased market share of A. Le Coq Premium is a litmus test of consumers’ quality preferences,” concluded Noop. AC Nielsen’s data shows that as of the end of September, A.Le Coq Premium enjoyed a retail trade share of over 13% and was thus the market leader.
Noop added that the falling trend concerns ciders and other light alcoholic beverages, too. “The decline of the light alcoholic beverage and beer sales will probably continue, which is why it is even more important now to constantly invest in product research and development,” stressed Noop. He believes that one of the causes of the dropping light alcoholic beverage sales is the 30% excise duty raise implemented in 2008. “Tallinn is the fourth most expensive beer city in Europe and so both the city residents and tourists are forced to consume less beer,” Noop admitted.
Olvi Oyj:tä kaksi vuotta vanhempi, vuonna 1876 perustettu valkovenäläinen Lidskoe Pivo -panimo sopii Olville kuin kruunukorkki olutpulloon.
Lidskoe Pivo on kaikin puolin hyvässä kunnossa. Matka Baltiaan, Olvin Viron, Liettuan ja Latvian panimoille ei ole pitkä. Panimon kotikaupunki Lida on aivan Liettuan rajan pinnassa. Pääkaupunki Minskiin on matkaa 200 kilometriä.
– Meidän on helppo hyödyntää Liettuan osaamista ja henkilöstöä. Oluen ja muiden panimotuotteiden uskotaan kasvavan Valko-Venäjällä merkittävästi seuraavan kymmenen vuoden aikana, toimitusjohtaja Lasse Aho sanoo.
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Oluen hintalappuun on ladattu kovat nousupaineet. Mäyräkoiraan on luvassa 30-45 prosentin korotus.
Tarjousoluen hinta nousee 12 pullon pakkauksessa vuodenvaihteen jälkeen 9,90-11,90 euron välille eli tasolle, jolla keskiolutta myytiin ennen veronalennusta helmikuussa 2004.
Kaksi vuotta sitten keskioluen 12 pullon pakkaus maksoi halvimmillaan 5,90 euroa. Nyt se maksaa halvimmillaan 7,50-8,00 euroa.
– Panimoala ei ole aikaisemmin ollut näin suuren haasteen edessä. Paljon riippuu myös siitä, miten kauppa tulee käyttäytymään, eli säilyykö olut sisäänvetotuotteena, sanoo Olvin toimitusjohtaja Lasse Aho.
Hartwallin toimitusjohtaja Yrjö Närhinen korostaa poliittisen päätöksentekijän pyrkimystä hillitä alkoholijuomien kulutusta ja sen ohella myös kampanjointia oluen hinnalla.
– Suuri kysymys on oluen roolista tulevaisuudessa ja miten kauppa sen näkee. Keskustelut kaupan kanssa ovat käynnistyneet, mutta kaupan kanta ei vielä ole selvillä, Närhinen sanoo.
– Samanlainen tilanne veronkorotusta lukuun ottamatta on myös muissa Pohjoismaissa ja Länsi-Euroopassa. Tosin palkkojen osalta Suomen kustannuskehitys on aivan ylärajalla. Suomalainen kuluttaja on samassa tilanteessa kuin kuluttaja muuallakin Länsi-Euroopassa, jossa oluen hinta nousee tuntuvasti, sanoo Sinebrychoffin toimitusjohtaja ja Carlsbergin Pohjoismaiden-toimitusjohtaja Mikael Aro.
Kaikki viisarit ylöspäin
Monet tekijät nostavat keskioluen hintaa.
Alkoholiveron korostus vuodenvaihteessa on oluen osalta kymmenen prosenttia eli vero nousee 1,00 eurosta 1,10 euroon litralta. Kaupan on samanaikaisesti luovuttava suurpakkausalennuksista.
Yksittäin myytävän olutpullon osuus vähittäiskaupan olutmyynnistä on romahtanut pariin prosenttiin. Olutpullon yksittäishinta on 1,20-1,30 euroa, kun mäyräkoirassa oluen litrahinta on 0,70 euron molemmin puolin. Vuodenvaihteen jälkeen tämä hintaero katoaa.
Viljan maailmanmarkkinahinta on noussut vuodessa noin 80 prosenttia. Maltaan valmistuskustannuksista viljan osuus on 70 prosenttia.
Loka-marraskuuhun mennessä
oluen raaka-ainekulujen noususta on tullut läpi vasta 25-35 prosenttia. Maltaan maailmanmarkkinahinta on 550 euroa tonnilta, kun vuosi sitten se oli alle 300 euroa.
Myös siiderin hinta on nousemassa raaka-aineiden hintojen nousun myötä. Omena- ja päärynäkonsentraatin hinta on noussut kolmanneksen ja siirappien hinta lähes 40 prosenttia.
EU:n painostuksessa olutpullojen kierrätyspakosta luovutaan. Panimot ovat investoineet uusiin pullotuslinjoihin kymmenestä miljoonasta 25 miljoonaan euroon.
Öljyn hinnannousu nostaa puolestaan muovipullon hintaa tuntuvasti. Kun kierrätysmuovipulloa käytettiin keskimäärin 18 kertaa, kertakäyttöpullo käytetään vain kerran, joten raaka-ainekulujen kautta kustannusvaikutus kasvaa merkittävästi. Oluttölkkiin käytetyn alumiinin maailmanmarkkinahinnan nousu taas nostaa oluttölkin hintaa noin 11 prosentilla. Oluen panimohinta nousee kymmeniä prosentteja.
Öljyn hinnannousu samoin kuin liikennepolttoaineiden veronkorotukset heijastuvat suoraan oluen kuljetuskustannuksiin.
Kaupan kanta yhä auki
Keskiolut on ollut viime vuodet kaupan sisäänvetotuote. Oluen osuus pienten ja keskisuurten elintarvikemyymälöiden kokonaismyynnistä on 12-15 prosenttia, suurmyymälöissäkin liki kymmenen prosenttia.
Panimoissa ei vielä tiedetä, millaisen kannan eri kaupan ketjut ottavat olutmyyntiinsä vuodenvaihteen jälkeen. Eikä kauppa vielä tiedä, millä hinnalla panimot keskiolutta niille myyvät. Myöskään kuluttajan reaktioita ei pystytä ennustamaan.
Kaupan uskotaan edelleenkin säilyttävän keskioluen jonkinasteisena sisäänvetoartikkelina ja tinkivän oluen myyntikatteesta. Vähittäismyyntihintaansa kaupan ennustetaan hakevan tarkkailemalla kilpailijoidensa käyttäytymistä.
