Asahi has achieved what you can dream of many international brands for beer only-in the domestic and victory local brands.

A decade ago, when the legendary Japanese brand was trying to find out how to storm the European beer market, it turned into an unverage enemy at the time as the standard: the distinguished Italian brand Peroni Nastero.

Soon after Birone’s sales will become a more vital standard for Beermaker, when Asahi cut the brand in 2016.

Asahi Super Dry, the distinguished Japanese beer that appeared in Asian restaurants and an increasing number of bars throughout Europe, has designed much larger waves in the region thanks to a large number of acquisitions in the past decade, regretting his position as a major speculative on the continent.

The beer maker achieved $ 5.4 billion of European revenues alone last year, by 13 % from 2023, and $ 697 million of profits. Europe is now the largest market for Izi outside Japan, as it constitutes 27 % of its sales in 2024.

Japanese population crisis

The Asahi project in the European market was not coincidental, and one of the CEO Katsuki said he had a great relationship with the growing aging of Japan.

The residents of Japan’s age have faced unnecessary decrease over the past thirty years, with the number of children between the ages of 15 and 64 years. drop From the peak of 87.1 million people in 1994 to 72.8 million in 2023. This decrease in the work age became an existential crisis for Japanese companies, including Ashai.

“If you look at the Japanese beer market, since 1995, the market has been contracting at a rate of 1-2 % per year, and we think this is likely to continue,” luck On a visit to London.

In many ways, Japan works as elegant for the Western world, which faces its own demographic crisis with low birth rates after decades of starting the influence on Japan. Meanwhile, however, Ashai makes straw while the sun rises in the beer market in Europe.

For a successful Japanese beer maker, but a specialist like Asahi, the challenge of storming the profitable beer sector in Europe, but was great.

Japanese beer manufacturers have devised popular innovations locally to make the local population wander around the beer. Local Ashai competition, Kirin Itephan, presented the frozen beer to those who drink to drink Japanese, giving the beer a frozen top and helping to maintain temperatures without scratch while drinking customers. I tried the beer without scratch in the country.

“I don’t think it is working if you have a unified global marketing strategy,” Katsuke said, explaining why these innovations did not reach Europe.

Instead of winning the Europeans in Japanese innovations, Asai followed a different approach, that is, if you could not overcome “join”.

Asahi Peroni and Grolls Golsa bought AB Inbev in a deal with billions of dollars in 2016. Then the group bought the beer assets from BRULE Brewer Fuller and Smith & Turner for 250 million pounds (then 326 million dollars) in 2019.

There has been a strong shift towards “excellence” in the alcoholic beverage market in recent years, and beer is no different. Peroni’s purchase seemed a next natural step in this distinguished development.

In fact, as part of a strategy to develop its global sales for Asahi Super Dry, Asahi used Peroni sales in London as a standard before the group got the Italian beer brand.

In the same way, Asahi Super Dry and Peroni Nastro azzurro appears to walk the same type of consumer, and two distinct jewels give customers international air when they drink.

“It is true that the value of the value of these brands is similar, as they suggest this idea that it is elegant, sophisticated, cruel and refreshing.”

Katsuki said that the insertion in “Italian” in Peroni and the Japanese ties of Asahi had won strategies that spoke to the feeling they wanted to drink in his experience when buying beer.

Katsuki says there are other benefits to work in Europe, including learning about profitability management strategies and a famous brand building.

Asahi is now the first supplier of beer in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary, while Katsuki says the group is one of the largest players in the UK category.

Moderation in Europe

One of the trends in which Ashai is expected to follow the Europeans in a movement towards moderation.

Asahi aims to 20 % of its global sales that come from alcohol -free alcohol and alcohol drinks by 2030, up from 12.1 % now. In Japan, this number is already about 15 %.

Low -alcohol sales in the UK have grown faster than any market last year, and partially defended through the post -Britain exit regulations from the European Union, which receives cheaper fees on low -alcohol drinks. But it reflects a wider movement towards sobriety throughout Europe.

Katsuki says his company sees a more diverse demand even in his low and non -alcoholic business sector in his business, as consumers demand more diversity and flavor to put out their thirst.

“We can see that the fact that non -flavored alcoholic beer has become really common is the indication of the future growth of our neighboring beer category, because this gives the opportunity to those who choose not to drink beer or who cannot drink beer to enjoy the culture of drinking.”

European challenges

The challenges for the Japanese beer factory continue to compete with the original European competitors such as AB Inbev and Carlsberg.

Last year, The most prominent Katsuke Lack of barley and jumps as a serious danger to beer supply across Europe. While Russia’s invasion of the main grain supplier on Ukraine had an impact on supplies, the most existential risk of climate change.

The group works with Microsoft to improve the discovery of crops with a diversification of its production as well, but climate change still represents an unimaginable threat to beer supply in Europe.

Another strange challenge that seems to have become a growing European relationship is the challenge of fake continental beer.

Madhi, a Spanish beer with weak ties to the country and was completely checked in the United Kingdom

The trend caused Spanish CEO of Astrilla To summon Madrei, Permacker accused the trust of the trust while taking it on its market share for his company.

Katsuki says he understands why there can be frustration between producers and consumers of mysterious beer at the national level.

“Somehow, they may think that the producers flourish the origin of that beer,” Katsuke said.

“However, consider the effect of the climate crisis if you will produce beer in Italy or Spain and ship it to the United Kingdom, which will increase carbon dioxide emissions.” He added that the imported beer did not have returned bottles, which reduces sustainability. “

There are more expansion plans to attend from Ashai. Her famous brand in Nikka Nikka was largely confined to Japan due to a long -term deficiency in biological fluid, which means only 10 % of her sales outside Japan.

Katsuki says Nika regularly gets customer inquiries in foreign markets, and ASAHI develops a plan to enhance production.

Either way, Europeans can anticipate a Japanese touch for their favorite drinks, even if they do not know that.

Editor Note: A copy of this article was first published on Fortune.com on October 1, 2024

This story was originally shown on Fortune.com

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2025-04-11 05:00:00