Alcoholic Drinks in Greece

Euromonitor International's Alcoholic Drinks in Greece market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

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Product coverage

Beer; Cider/perry; RTDs/High-strength premixes; Spirits; Wine

Executive summary

Positive performance for alcoholic drinks in 2008

The alcoholic drinks market in Greece saw positive growth in 2008 in both volume and value terms. Volume growth was minimal, although higher than the review period average, driven mainly by the performance of economy lager, tsipouro and high-strength premixes. Economy lager is still a small niche, and thus growth potential is very high. Following huge promotional activities implemented by Tsilili SA, tsipouro also registered high growth, further enhanced by the overall localisation trends that dominate the Greek market. At the same time the recent introduction of Smirnoff North by Diageo Hellas reaffirmed the position of high-strength premixes in the country, particularly in the off-trade channel. Value growth was nevertheless much higher than volume. This was due on one hand to the overall premiumisation of the alcoholic drinks market, and the simultaneous rise in prices as a result of the surge in raw materials costs.

Minimal effect of credit crunch on alcoholic drinks

Despite the worldwide financial crises, the alcoholic drinks market in Greece has not been severely affected. The strong going-out culture that is widespread in Greece is largely maintained despite the economic struggle. At the same time, as luxury is highly associated with status, a major proportion of consumers continue to opt for premium products within the on-trade channel. It should be acknowledged that growth in volume terms was much higher in the off-trade channel in 2008. This indicates that although people still go out, there is a trend towards consuming a few drinks at home before going out, or an increase in home gatherings as a means of saving money.

Athenian Brewery remains clear leader

Due to the high penetration of beer in Greece and the dominance of Athenian brewery in this environment, the company remained the leader of the alcoholic drinks market in 2007, claiming over one-third of total volume sales. The recent acquisition of Mythos brewery by Carlsberg is expected to have an impact on the market, although the market leader remains unaffected as yet, securing top position in the rankings through its Mega brands Amstel and Heineken. Within spirits, multinational player Diageo is driving sales, with its leadership position attributed to its Johnny Walker brand. On the other hand, local players dominate Beer, Wine, whilst maintaining the leadership in ouzo and tsipouro.

Supermarkets and discounters increase penetration

Large scale grocery retailers, namely supermarkets and discounters, retained leadership in terms of distribution in 2008, further enhancing their positions. Benefiting from the financial struggle of Greek consumers, major retailers have cannibalised the sales of smaller outlets due to their more competitive pricing. Specialist remain significant when it comes to off trade sales of premium and super premium products, as these are hardly ever available through the grocery channel.

Value sales rise as penetration of premium products increases

The alcoholic drinks market is expected to perform well in future, particularly in value terms. Although prices are already high in Greece, they are expected to rise still further, pushing up total value. The increasing penetration of premium variants in products such as spirits, beer and wine represents another factor contributing to strong value growth. At the end of the review period all manufacturers in spirits focused new launches on premium and super-premium variants. This trend will continue over the forecast period as it sees great acceptance from the Greek consumer base.

Table of contents

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IN GREECE : MARKET INSIGHT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Positive performance for alcoholic drinks in 2008

Minimal effect of credit crunch on alcoholic drinks

Athenian Brewery remains clear leader

Supermarkets and discounters increase penetration

Value sales rise as penetration of premium products increases

KEY TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS

Rising average temperatures affect growth

Dynamic changes in distribution landscape

Growing demand for luxury products adds value

Artisanal production barrier diminishing

Specialist retailers losing ground to supermarkets

Mythos Brewery becomes part of Carlsberg-Heineken Group

MARKET BACKGROUND

Legislation

TAXATION AND DUTY LEVIES

Table 1 Taxation and Duty Levies on Alcoholic Drinks 2008

Table 2 Typical Wholesaler and Retailer Off-trade Mark-ups by Selected Sectors 2008

Table 3 Selling Margin of a Typical Beer Brand 2008 – Mythos

Table 4 Selling Margin of a Typical Wine Brand 2008 – Kritikos

OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

Contraband/parallel Trade

Duty-free

Cross-border/private Imports

MARKET INDICATORS

Table 5 Retail Consumer Expenditure on Alcoholic Drinks 2003-2008

MARKET DATA

Table 6 Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector: Total Volume 2003-2008

Table 7 Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector: Total Value 2003-2008

Table 8 Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector: % Total Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 9 Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector: % Total Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 10 Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: Volume 2008

Table 11 Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: Value 2008

Table 12 Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: % Volume 2008

Table 13 Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: % Value 2008

Table 14 Company Shares of Alcoholic Drinks by Global Brand Owner 2004-2007

Table 15 Off-trade Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Distribution Format: % Value Analysis 2008

Table 16 Off-trade Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector and Distribution Format: % Volume Analysis 2008

Table 17 Forecast Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector: Total Volume 2008-2013

Table 18 Forecast Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector: Total Value 2008-2013

Table 19 Forecast Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector: % Total Volume Growth 2008-2013

Table 20 Forecast Sales of Alcoholic Drinks by Sector: % Total Value Growth 2008-2013

DEFINITIONS

Summary 1 Research Sources

LOCAL COMPANY PROFILES - GREECE

AMVYX SA - ALCOHOLIC DRINKS - GREECE

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 2 Amvyx SA: Key Facts

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

Summary 3 Amvyx SA: Competitive Position 2007

ATHENIAN BREWERY SA - ALCOHOLIC DRINKS - GREECE

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 4 Athenian brewery SA: Key Facts

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

Summary 5 Athenian Brewery SA: Competitive Position 2007

CRAFT MICROBREWERY SA - ALCOHOLIC DRINKS - GREECE

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 6 Craft Microbrewery SA: Key Facts

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

HELLENIC MICROBREWERIES SA - ALCOHOLIC DRINKS - GREECE

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 7 Hellenic Microbreweries SA: Key Facts

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

Summary 8 Hellenic Microbreweries SA: Production Statistics 2007

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

TSILILIS SA - ALCOHOLIC DRINKS - GREECE

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 9 K. Tsililis SA: Key Facts

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

Summary 10 K. Tsililis SA: Competitive Position 2007

BEER IN GREECE

HEADLINES

TRENDS

PRODUCTION, IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PROSPECTS

SECTOR BACKGROUND

Lager price band methodology

Summary 11 Lager by Price Band 2008

SECTOR DATA

Table 21 Sales of Beer by Subsector: Total Volume 2003-2008

Table 22 Sales of Beer by Subsector: Total Value 2003-2008

Table 23 Sales of Beer by Subsector: % Total Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 24 Sales of Beer by Subsector: % Total Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 25 Sales of Beer by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: Volume 2003-2008

Table 26 Sales of Beer by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: Value 2003-2008

Table 27 Sales of Beer by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: % Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 28 Sales of Beer by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: % Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 29 Beer: Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 30 Beer Exports by Country of Destination: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 31 Beer Exports by Country of Destination: Total Value 2002-2007

Table 32 Beer Imports by Country of Origin: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 33 Beer Imports by Country of Origin: Total Value 2002-2007

Table 34 Company Shares of Beer by National Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 35 Company Shares of Beer by Global Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 36 Brand Shares of Beer 2004-2007

Table 37 Forecast Sales of Beer by Subsector: Total Volume 2008-2013

Table 38 Forecast Sales of Beer by Subsector: Total Value 2008-2013

Table 39 Forecast Sales of Beer by Subsector: % Total Volume Growth 2008-2013

Table 40 Forecast Sales of Beer by Subsector: % Total Value Growth 2008-2013

CIDER/PERRY IN GREECE

HEADLINES

TRENDS

PRODUCTION, IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PROSPECTS

SECTOR DATA

Table 41 Sales of Cider/Perry: Total Volume 2003-2008

Table 42 Sales of Cider/Perry: Total Value 2003-2008

Table 43 Sales of Cider/Perry: % Total Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 44 Sales of Cider/Perry: % Total Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 45 On-trade vs Off-trade Sales of Cider/Perry: Volume 2003-2008

Table 46 On-trade vs Off-trade Sales of Cider/Perry: Value 2003-2008

Table 47 On-trade vs Off-trade Sales of Cider/Perry: % Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 48 On-trade vs Off-trade Sales of Cider/Perry: % Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 49 Cider/Perry Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 50 Cider/Perry Exports by Country of Destination: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 51 Cider/Perry Exports by Country of Destination: Total Value 2002-2007

Table 52 Cider/Perry Imports by Country of Origin: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 53 Cider/Perry Imports by Country of Origin: Total Value 2002-2007

Table 54 Company Shares of Cider/Perry by National Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 55 Company Shares of Cider/Perry by Global Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 56 Brand Shares of Cider/Perry 2004-2007

Table 57 Forecast Sales of Cider/Perry: Total Volume 2008-2013

Table 58 Forecast Sales of Cider/Perry: Total Value 2008-2013

Table 59 Forecast Sales of Cider/Perry: % Total Volume Growth 2008-2013

Table 60 Forecast Sales of Cider/Perry: % Total Value Growth 2008-2013

RTDS/HIGH-STRENGTH PREMIXES IN GREECE

HEADLINES

TRENDS

PRODUCTION, IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PROSPECTS

SECTOR DATA

Table 61 Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by Subsector: Total Volume 2003-2008

Table 62 Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by Subsector: Total Value 2003-2008

Table 63 Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by Subsector: % Total Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 64 Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by Subsector: % Total Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 65 On-trade vs Off-trade Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes: Volume 2003-2008

Table 66 On-trade vs Off-trade Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes: Value 2003-2008

Table 67 On-trade vs Off-trade Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes: % Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 68 On-trade vs Off-trade Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes: % Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 69 Company Shares of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by Global Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 70 Company Shares of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by National Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 71 Brand Shares of RTDS/High-strength Premixes 2004-2007

Table 72 Forecast Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by Subsector: Total Volume 2008-2013

Table 73 Forecast Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by Subsector: Total Value 2008-2013

Table 74 Forecast Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by Subsector: % Total Volume Growth 2008-2013

Table 75 Forecast Sales of RTDS/High-strength Premixes by Subsector: % Total Value Growth 2008-2013

WINE IN GREECE

HEADLINES

TRENDS

PRODUCTION, IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PROSPECTS

SECTOR DATA

Table 76 Sales of Wine by Subsector: Total Volume 2003-2008

Table 77 Sales of Wine by Subsector: Total Value 2003-2008

Table 78 Sales of Wine by Subsector: % Total Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 79 Sales of Wine by Subsector: % Total Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 80 Sales of Wine by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: Volume 2003-2008

Table 81 Sales of Wine by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: Value 2003-2008

Table 82 Sales of Wine by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: % Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 83 Sales of Wine by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: % Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 84 Volume Sales of Still Red Wine by Price Segment 2003-2008

Table 85 Volume Sales of Still White Wine by Price Segment 2003-2008

Table 86 Volume Sales of Still Rosé Wine by Price Segment 2003-2008

Table 87 Volume Sales of Other Sparkling Wine by Price Segment 2003-2008

Table 88 Sales of Still Red Wine by Grape/Varietal Type 2003-2008

Table 89 Sales of Still White Wine by Grape/Varietal Type 2003-2008

Table 90 Sales of Still Rosé Wine by Grape/Varietal Type 2003-2008

Table 91 Sales of Still Red Wine by Quality Classification 2003-2008

Table 92 Sales of Still White Wine by Quality Classification 2003-2008

Table 93 Sales of Still Rosé Wine by Quality Classification 2003-2008

Table 94 Wine Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 95 Wine Exports by Country of Destination: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 96 Wine Exports by Country of Destination: Total Value 2002-2007

Table 97 Wine Imports by Country of Origin: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 98 Wine Imports by Country of Origin: Total Value 2002-2007

Table 99 Company Shares of Still Light Grape Wine by National Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 100 Company Shares of Still Light Grape Wine by Global Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 101 Brand Shares of Still Light Grape Wine 2004-2007

Table 102 Company Shares of Champagne by National Brand Owner 2004-2007

Table 103 Company Shares of Champagne by Global Brand Owner 2004-2007

Table 104 Brand Shares of Champagne 2004-2007

Table 105 Company Shares of Other Sparkling Wine by National Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 106 Company Shares of Other Sparkling Wine by Global Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 107 Brand Shares of Other Sparkling Wine 2004-2007

Table 108 Company Shares of Fortified Wine and Vermouth by National Brand Owner 2004-2007

Table 109 Company Shares of Fortified Wine and Vermouth by Global Brand Owner 2004-2007

Table 110 Brand Shares of Fortified Wine and Vermouth 2004-2007

Table 111 Forecast Sales of Wine by Subsector: Total Volume 2008-2013

Table 112 Forecast Sales of Wine by Subsector: Total Value 2008-2013

Table 113 Forecast Sales of Wine by Subsector: % Total Volume Growth 2008-2013

Table 114 Forecast Sales of Wine by Subsector: % Total Value Growth 2008-2013

SPIRITS IN GREECE

HEADLINES

TRENDS

PRODUCTION, IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PROSPECTS

SECTOR BACKGROUND

Vodka, gin and other blended Scotch whisky Price band methodology

SECTOR DATA

Table 115 Sales of Spirits by Subsector: Total Volume 2003-2008

Table 116 Sales of Spirits by Subsector: Total Value 2003-2008

Table 117 Sales of Spirits by Subsector: % Total Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 118 Sales of Spirits by Subsector: % Total Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 119 Sales of Spirits by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: Volume 2003-2008

Table 120 Sales of Spirits by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: Value 2003-2008

Table 121 Sales of Spirits by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: % Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 122 Sales of Spirits by On-trade vs Off-trade Split: % Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 123 Sales of Other Blended Scotch Whisky by Premium/Super-premium Split 2003-2008

Table 124 Sales of Gin by Premium/Super-premium Split 2003-2008

Table 125 Sales of Vodka by Premium/Super-premium Split 2003-2008

Table 126 Sales of Flavoured vs Non-flavoured Vodka 2003-2008

Table 127 Spirits Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 128 Spirits Exports by Country of Destination: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 129 Spirits Exports by Country of Destination: Total Value 2002-2007

Table 130 Spirits Imports by Country of Origin: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 131 Spirits Imports by Country of Origin: Total Value 2002-2007

Table 132 Whisk(e)y Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 133 Brandy & Cognac Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 134 Vodka Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 135 Gin Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 136 Rum Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 137 Tequila Production, Imports and Exports: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 138 Liqueurs Production: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 139 Other Spirits Production: Total Volume 2002-2007

Table 140 Company Shares of Spirits by National Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 141 Company Shares of Spirits by Global Brand Owner 2003-2007

Table 142 Brand Shares of Spirits 2004-2007

Table 143 Forecast Sales of Spirits by Subsector: Total Volume 2008-2013

Table 144 Forecast Sales of Spirits by Subsector: Total Value 2008-2013

Table 145 Forecast Sales of Spirits by Subsector: % Total Volume Growth 2008-2013

Table 146 Forecast Sales of Spirits by Subsector: % Total Value Growth 2008-2013