Cider/Perry in Croatia

PROSPECTS

Hopefully not just another radler story

The story of cider sounds suspiciously similar to that of flavoured/mixed lager. Appearing out of nowhere, with no previous tradition or knowledge of such a beverage in Croatia, cider was presented by just one manufacturer and just one brand.

Multinationals push against a lack of tradition

Cider was virtually unknown in Croatia just a decade ago; the first manufacturers relied on a small group of connoisseurs who knew about it from spending time abroad. Carlsberg Croatia made the first efforts in terms of educating the masses about cider, and the other two players took advantage of this, but also widened cider promotion to a bigger audience.

Current high growth to slow down

Growth rates in cider did have their ups and downs: after a strong start with just one brand, the public became indifferent to cider, as there were no new launches in the market, and sales even started to decline just before the two other players joined in 2015 and gave a boost to dwindling sales. In 2017, sales growth was more than satisfactory, driven by intense advertising by the two new players.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Cider players are breweries

In Croatia, cider is closely connected with breweries: they have launched the main brands, and consumers actually consider cider as a sort of extension of beer. This also reflects in the competitive landscape, with the initial leadership of Carlsberg Croatia, followed by Zagrebacka Pivovara and Heineken Hrvatska.

The reach of domestic manufacturers is limited

With the three main players carving up the category between them, other companies are virtually invisible. Obala Grupa tried to penetrate the category with InCider, manufactured in Germany, but eventually gave up.

New launches expected, but not from the leaders

The main players have their representative brands in cider/perry, and there is no need to push new launches in the future. Very much like beer in Croatia, cider/perry is about belonging and loyalty.

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