Sales of Asahi beer in S. Korea jump 28.4 pct

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- Lotte Asahi Liquor Co., South Korean exclusive
distributor of Japan's Asahi Beverage Ltd., said Wednesday that its sales soared
last year on the back of aggressive marketing.
Sales of the Japanese beer jumped 28.4 percent from a year earlier to 750,000
cases in 2009. One case contains a total of 24 350 milliliter cans or 12 700
milliliter cans, the company said.
Company insiders attributed the sales increase to aggressive marketing and
promotion campaigns.
Annual sales growth of Asahi beer averaged 52 percent over the past three years,
a company official said.
The South Korean importer hopes it will sell 1 million cases of Asahi beer in
2010, up 33 percent from a year ago, by expanding its market to convenience
stores and raising demand for bottled beers.
Lotte Asahi Liquor is owned 85 percent by Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co., the liquor
and beverage unit of South Korea's Lotte Group, and the rest by the Japanese
company.
jia@yna.co.kr
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