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Beer sales rising

  • Total British beer sales continue to grow year on year, after a decade of decline
  • Market still fragile as Q1 on-trade sales sales 0.8 per cent lower than Q1 2014
  • Continued support for beer and pubs is vital, says BBPA’s Brigid Simmonds

Beer sales are continuing to grow year-on-year, with sales at the end of quarter one rising 1.5 per cent over the past 12 months, it has been announced today. The figures are reported in the latest ‘Beer Barometer’ from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

This continued growth follows nine consecutive years of decline, which saw beer sales slide by an astonishing 24 per cent – 6.7 million fewer pints sold, per day. The BBPA says that huge tax rises were the major culprit, with a devastating beer duty hike of 42 per cent from 2008 to 2013, under the disastrous beer tax ‘escalator’ policy. This sent the typical duty on a pub pint (plus the VAT on the duty) from 38p to 56p. The period saw 7,000 pubs close, with 58,000 jobs lost.

BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds says the figures highlighted the need for continuity from The Treasury in its tax policy for beer, which has seen a historic hat-trick of beer duty cuts that have hugely helped to stabilise the sector and safeguard the future of many of Britain’s pubs.

BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds comments: “The market is still fragile as the industry continues to recover from the damaging beer duty escalator and UK beer duty rates remain among the highest in the EU.

“That is why we need the right tax policies so we can continue to boost jobs and create investment in an industry that employs 900,000 people and is worth £22 billion to our economy.”

UK Quarterly Beer Barometer
1st Quarter 2015 (January to March)
Moving annual total beer sales (‘000 barrels)
Total sales Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Volume % change Volume % change Volume % change Volume % change
2000 35,464 -0.6% 35,503 1.5% 35,052 -1.0% 34,572 -3.5%
2001 34,531 -2.6% 34,432 -3.0% 34,473 -1.7% 34,627 0.2%
2002 34,953 1.2% 35,287 2.5% 35,201 2.1% 35,141 1.5%
2003 35,052 0.0% 35,033 0.0% 35,483 0.0% 35,500 1.0%
2004 35,771 2.0% 35,969 2.7% 35,495 0.0% 35,641 0.4%
2005 35,413 -1.0% 35,015 -2.7% 35,215 -0.8% 34,902 -2.1%
2006 34,778 -1.8% 35,191 0.5% 34,596 -1.8% 34,448 -1.3%
2007 34,265 -1.5% 33,600 -4.5% 33,558 -3.0% 33,155 -3.8%
2008 33,144 -3.3% 32,790 -2.4% 32,213 -4.0% 31,482 -5.0%
2009 30,961 -6.6% 30,543 -6.9% 30,503 -5.3% 30,214 -4.0%
2010 29,927 -3.3% 30,225 -1.0% 29,514 -3.2% 29,150 -3.5%
2011 29,003 -3.1% 28,272 -6.5% 28,492 -3.5% 28,477 -2.3%
2012 28,430 -2.0% 28,031 -0.9% 27,618 -3.1% 27,131 -4.7%
2013 26,970 -5.1% 26,627 -5.0% 26,997 -2.3% 27,098 -0.1%
2014 26,994 0.1% 27,639 3.8% 27,368 1.4% 27,444 1.3%
2015 27,401 1.5%
On-trade sales Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Volume % change Volume % change Volume % change Volume % change
2000 24,281 -3.1% 24,018 -3.2% 23,671 -4.4% 23,358 -4.7%
2001 23,134 -4.7% 22,961 -4.4% 22,794 -3.7% 22,763 -2.5%
2002 22,811 -1.4% 22,725 -1.0% 22,552 -1.1% 22,333 -1.9%
2003 22,165 0.0% 22,013 0.0% 21,981 0.0% 21,890 -2.0%
2004 21,821 -1.5% 21,796 -1.0% 21,621 -1.6% 21,513 -1.7%
2005 21,381 -2.0% 21,064 -3.4% 20,935 -3.2% 20,729 -3.6%
2006 20,499 -4.1% 20,466 -2.8% 20,145 -3.8% 19,942 -3.8%
2007 19,770 -3.6% 19,423 -5.1% 19,166 -4.9% 18,737 -6.0%
2008 18,389 -7.0% 17,876 -8.0% 17,506 -8.7% 17,048 -9.0%
2009 16,818 -8.5% 16,634 -6.9% 16,451 -6.0% 16,256 -4.6%
2010 15,951 -5.2% 15,714 -5.5% 15,430 -6.2% 15,135 -6.9%
2011 15,075 -5.5% 14,980 -4.7% 14,894 -3.5% 14,925 -1.4%
2012 14,782 -1.9% 14,619 -2.4% 14,446 -3.0% 14,261 -4.5%
2013 14,089 -4.7% 13,862 -5.2% 13,824 -4.3% 13,775 -3.4%
2014 13,693 -2.8% 13,781 -0.6% 13,723 -0.7% 13,660 -0.8%
2015 13,589 -0.8%
Off-trade sales Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Volume % change Volume % change Volume % change Volume % change
2000 11,183 5.3% 11,484 12.9% 11,381 6.9% 11,215 -0.9%
2001 11,397 1.9% 11,471 -0.1% 11,679 2.6% 11,864 5.8%
2002 12,143 6.5% 12,562 9.5% 12,649 8.3% 12,808 8.0%
2003 12,888 0.0% 13,020 0.0% 13,502 0.0% 13,610 6.3%
2004 13,949 8.2% 14,174 8.9% 13,874 2.8% 14,128 3.8%
2005 14,032 0.6% 13,951 -1.6% 14,279 2.9% 14,173 0.3%
2006 14,278 1.8% 14,725 5.6% 14,451 1.2% 14,506 2.4%
2007 14,496 1.5% 14,177 -3.7% 14,391 -0.4% 14,418 -0.6%
2008 14,755 1.8% 14,915 5.2% 14,707 2.2% 14,434 0.1%
2009 14,143 -4.2% 13,909 -6.7% 14,052 -4.5% 13,958 -3.3%
2010 13,976 -1.2% 14,512 4.3% 14,084 0.2% 14,015 0.4%
2011 13,928 -0.3% 13,293 -8.4% 13,598 -3.5% 13,552 -3.3%
2012 13,647 -2.0% 13,412 0.9% 13,172 -3.1% 12,870 -5.0%
2013 12,881 -5.6% 12,765 -4.8% 13,173 0.0% 13,323 3.5%
2014 13,301 3.3% 13,857 8.6% 13,645 3.6% 13,784 3.5%
2015 13,812 3.8%
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