Japanese brewer, Sapporo Breweries, has set its sights on the Southeast Asian and Hong Kong markets as it partners with Danish beer giant, Carlsberg Group, to bolster the presence of its Sapporo Premium and Yebisu brands. The goal is to double Sapporo’s 2023 sales estimates for these regions by 2026, equating to around 1.5 million cases of 20 633-milliliter bottles annually.
Sapporo has entered into distributorship agreements with Carlsberg in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. While it has been exporting beer from its Japanese and Vietnamese breweries to these areas, Sapporo aims to leverage Carlsberg’s well-established sales channels to boost its market share.
In Malaysia, Sapporo has even entrusted the production of Sapporo Premium to a Carlsberg brewery. Sapporo will primarily target middle- and upper-class consumers, emphasizing quality in its marketing efforts.
Sapporo faces a shrinking share of Japan’s alcoholic beverage market, trailing behind industry leaders like Asahi Group Holdings and Kirin Holdings in the domestic beer market. Hence, the brand sees expanding its footprint in Asia as crucial to its global growth, as it primarily relies on North America for its overseas sales.
Masato Konno, who leads sales at Sapporo Beer’s international business division, views the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a strategic market for a Japanese brand to secure top market share.
This collaborative venture with Carlsberg signifies Sapporo’s commitment to establishing a strong foothold in Asian markets as it endeavors to regain prominence in the global beer industry.
