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News from France
A positive outlook for Champagne houses as Yves Bénard, president of l’Union des Maisons de Champagne, has predicted a rise of 1.5% in volume and 3-4% in value in 2005 over last year
A positive outlook for Champagne houses as Yves Bénard, president of l’Union des Maisons de Champagne, has predicted a rise of 1.5% in volume and 3-4% in value in 2005 over last year, putting sales volume for the current year at between 300m and 310m bottles. Exports to the UK are expected to have increased by 6-7%.
Bénard says stocks have been bolstered by this year’s large harvest and now stand at the equivalent of one billion bottles, the highest levels seen for three to four years.
However, the news is not so good for brewers as InBev is about to cut 119 jobs from its operations in France. The total job cuts will, in fact, amount to 303 across InBev and its distribution subsidiary, CaféIn. However, 84 employees will be offered alternative positions in the revamped brewing business.
The streamlining is a result of a stagnant beer market in Western Europe. Levels of beer consumption in France have plummeted by 25% over the last 25 years and beer sales have dropped by as much as 13% in the last 10 years alone.