sueddeutsche.de
German Beer Sales Plummet 6.8 Percent in 2025
The German beer industry faced a significant 6.8 percent drop in alcoholic beer sales during the first five months of 2025, exceeding the pandemic-year sales, according to Veltins Brewery, impacting sales in areas such as North Rhine-Westphalia, which is losing over 400,000 hectoliters; the brewery predicts that the market will not recover until 2026.
- How do weather conditions and consumer behavior contribute to the current downturn in the German beer market?
- This substantial downturn, impacting even North Rhine-Westphalia with a loss of over 400,000 hectoliters, is attributed to consumers' tightening budgets despite favorable weather. Veltins suggests the reduction primarily stems from consumers forgoing second or third beers, with recovery not anticipated until 2026.
- What is the extent of the decline in German alcoholic beer sales, and what are its immediate consequences for the industry?
- The German brewing industry experienced a 6.8 percent drop in alcoholic beer sales during the first five months of 2025, a decline Veltins Brewery describes as historically significant, exceeding even the pandemic year of 2021. This represents a loss of approximately 2.3 million hectoliters, roughly double the typical annual decrease.
- What are the long-term implications of this sales decline for the German brewing industry, and what strategies might breweries employ to mitigate these effects?
- The intense competition in the shrinking beer market, particularly for alcohol-free alternatives, is unlikely to fully compensate for the losses. Veltins, while experiencing a 2.3 percent increase in overall sales, notes that alcohol-free beers can only offset about one-third of the decline in alcoholic beer sales. This situation may lead to brewery closures or mergers.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article frames the story primarily through the lens of Veltins brewery's experiences, using their statements as the basis for many of its claims about the industry as a whole. The headline, while factual, emphasizes the negative aspect of the situation. By focusing on Veltins's struggles and projected losses, the article may unintentionally lead readers to perceive the entire industry as being in a far more precarious state than might be the case with a broader and more balanced overview.
Language Bias
The article uses relatively neutral language, avoiding overtly charged terms. However, phrases like "historische Dimension" (historic dimension) and describing the downturn as "unerwartet hohen Rückschlag" (unexpectedly high setback) have a slightly negative connotation. While these phrases are not inherently biased, they contribute to a more pessimistic overall tone.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the perspective of Veltins brewery, potentially omitting the experiences and opinions of other breweries or industry experts. While the article mentions that the market is shrinking and competition for alcohol-free beers is intense, it doesn't delve into the reasons behind these trends or offer a broader range of perspectives on how different breweries are adapting. The overall impact of this omission is a somewhat limited and potentially skewed representation of the situation within the German brewing industry.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat false dichotomy by framing alcohol-free beer as merely a "pflaster" (plaster) that only "lindert die Schmerzen" (alleviates the pain) rather than a significant solution. This simplifies the potential role of alcohol-free beer in the market's evolution, ignoring the possibility of it being a growth area for some breweries or a long-term shift in consumer preferences. The article frames this as a simple eitheor solution which overlooks the complexity of the market.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article highlights a significant decrease in beer sales, impacting breweries of varying sizes. This decline disproportionately affects smaller breweries, potentially exacerbating economic inequality within the industry and wider society. Larger breweries may have more resources to weather the storm, leading to increased market concentration and reduced competition.