The rising costs do not stop at the Bavarian brewers either. Although the Free State announces aid, the industry is skeptical.
A customer in front of Reinhard Haagen’s beverage market in Dachau only says: “I’ll get used to drinking beer now.”
Prices are rising for beer, soda & Co.
He just found out that a crate of beer has become one euro more expensive. “Everything is getting more expensive,” he says, “but by leaps and bounds?” He doesn’t earn any more either, he reports to the BR.
The boss of the drinks market is dissatisfied himself and speaks of “cut-out competition”. He is currently buying a crate of Erdinger wheat beer for just under 19 euros. He then asks the customer just under 22 euros. At Rewe, the same box costs almost 3.50 euros less in the store. The difference in the Gösser-Radler is even greater. That, says Haagen, he buys for just under 18 euros. At Rewe, the beer is already available for just under 16 euros.
The large retail trade can buy many more hectoliters from the industry, complains the Dachau beverage market retailer, and thus pay much less. Others would then have to bear the price increases.
Bavaria has lost its first breweries
The brewers in Bavaria are also noticing the enormous competitive pressure. News of rising costs reach the Bavarian Brewers’ Association every day: raw materials, energy, glass. “There’s almost nothing that doesn’t get more expensive,” says General Manager Lothar Ebbertz BR.
The first breweries have already had to close. 2022 was already a very difficult year, says Ebbertz. The difficult competitive environment is to blame and that has to do with the increased costs. But customers are also forced to save. That’s why the big retailers don’t want to go along with the price increases.
Smaller, especially medium-sized companies, will have no choice but to pass the prices on to customers. However, 50 cents more per box would not be enough. Whether it has to be one euro or more cannot be said. “Everyone has to move together here,” says the representative of the Brewers’ Association.
Bavarian aid packages were announced
Aid packages could help the brewers with this. Above all, Bavaria wants to support small and medium-sized companies with the energy hardship aid. A minimum of EUR 6,000 and a maximum of EUR 2 million should be available per company.
However, Ebbertz from the Brauerbund is skeptical. “Now let’s really take a look at what’s important to companies,” he says.
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