Beer in Sweden

PROSPECTS

Beer witnessing a clear premiumisation trend

Sweden’s economy performed well in 2016 and 2017, enabling consumers to try more expensive, local and specialised products. Average unit price increased due to growing sales of ale, mainly IPAs (Indian Pale Ale) and domestic premium lager.

Volume growth of organic beer expected to slow

As part of the premiumisation, health and wellness and growing social responsibility trends, sales of organic foods and beverages remained strong in Sweden. Systembolaget, the retail monopoly for alcoholic beverages, reported a dramatic increase in sales of organic beer with an ABV of over 3.

Non alcoholic beer remains the best performing category

An increasing number of Swedes are paying greater attention to what they eat and drink, with many opting for less harmful products, such as non alcoholic beer. This greater focus on health has been recognised by manufacturers, which are increasingly focusing on marketing non alcoholic beers.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Carlsberg remains the leading player

Carlsberg remained the leading player in beer in 2017, largely thanks to its longstanding presence in Sweden and the fact that it is considered a regional brewer, with its headquarters being in Copenhagen. The company’s strong position can also be attributed to heavy investment in marketing and new product development as well as strong distribution.

Number of micro-breweries increases despite challenges in a heavily regulated market

As interest in craft and speciality beers has surged, so has the number of microbreweries in Sweden. According to the Swedish Beer Consumers Association, there were only 32 breweries, mostly with their own premises, in 2009, while this number surged to 188 in 2017.

Category dominated by local and regional players

Beer in Sweden continued to be dominated by local and regional players in 2017, led by the Danish brewer Carlsberg. It was followed by five Swedish breweries or importers, namely Spendrups Bryggeri, Åbro Bryggeri, Kopparbergs Bryggeri, Galatea Spirits and Krönleins Bryggeri.

Files are delivered directly into your account within a few minutes of purchase.