According to the report “Beer market in Poland in 2021” prepared by NielsenIQ for the Association of Brewing Industry Employers, the challenges related to the pandemic and the pressure of rising costs were reflected in the figures. In 2021, the beer market shrank in terms of value and volume. Despite the difficulties, brewers are developing positive consumer trends as the popularity of non-alcoholic and premium beers is growing.

Data published last year by the State Agency for Solving Alcohol Problems showed a significant decline in beer consumption. In 2020, it reached the level of 93.6 liters per capita, which is the lowest value in 10 years. The NielsenIQ calculations confirmed the downward trends. In 2021, the volume of beer shrank by more than 4%, which means that over a million hectoliters of this drink disappeared from the market. Compared to the record-breaking 2018, this loss is even more visible and amounts to 5 million hectoliters, i.e., 1 billion sold bottles less.

The value of beer sales in 2021 amounted to PLN 17.8 billion and decreased by 0.9% compared to 2020.

Bartłomiej Morzycki, the general director of the Union of Brewing Industry Employers Browary Polskie, explains on portalspozywczy.pl that one of the reasons for such a poor record of the beer market was the pandemic, the closure of gastronomy, the lack of events and tourism, as well as the shift in trade from small to large stores.

The shopping behavior of Poles was undoubtedly influenced by the pandemic, which made them buy less often, but more beer with one visit to the store. This promoted large supermarkets at the expense of smaller stores that had so far accounted for almost 66% of beer’s sales in Poland.

However, there are segments of the beer market that have defended their position. The report shows that non-alcoholic beers are the first to gain. They were sold in Poland for PLN 1 173 million in 2021, which is PLN 157 million more than in the previous year.

At the same time, the trend of lowering the average alcohol content in beer continued. While in 2019 it was 5.5%, in 2020 – 5.4%, last year this ratio was 5.3%.

Adrian Andrzejewski order