Recession causes 8% fall in beer sales
According to the latest figures published by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), 1.7 million fewer pints a day are being drunk due to the recession, which has caused consumers to be extra careful with cash and a rise in taxes.
The brewing industry has been hit hard by the recession and this is also a very visible process as pubs are closing up and down the country.
Increases in taxation beyond the rate of inflation has pushed the average pint from £1.95 four years ago to £2.41 currently. However it is the trade sale of beer that has been hit hardest with supermarkets and off licences seeing an 11 percent fall in sales.
In the first three months of this year beer sales are down across the board by an average 8 percent (compared with the same period last year) which is the highest quarterly fall since 1997.
In one of the nation’s most symbolic and important industries, publicans are struggling resulting in thousands of job losses and pub closures, which has removed the centre piece from many local communities.
The BBPA has been very critical of the Government’s decision to keep pushing up beer tax with a further 2 percent increase above the rate of inflation added from the Budget last week, which will only mean an already difficult situation has just been made harder.
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