Cider hit the bull’s-eye – Newspaper Kommersant No. 18 (7463) dated 02/01/2023

Difficulties with ingredients and the departure of European suppliers led to a change in the range of cider in Russia. In 2022, the production and sales of pear drink more than halved, due to problems with the supply of concentrate. Turnover of classic apple cider is still growing and companies may be switching to this more popular product, experts say.

Production and retail sales of pear cider (poiret) in Russia more than halved in 2022, to about 230,000 dal and 280,000 dal, year-on-year, respectively. This was told by a Kommersant source in the market, familiar with the calculations of Rosalkogolregulirovanie. According to him, the production of classic cider, on the contrary, increased by 42%, to 6.9 million decaliters, and sales – by 21%, to 6.25 million decaliters. Total sales of cider, poiret and mead in 2022 decreased by about 6%, to 8.64 million deciliters, while since 2018, according to Rosalkogolregulirovanie, they have been stable or growing.

The NielsenIQ data confirms the trend. According to analysts, in 2022, sales of apple-pear cider decreased by 50.8% in volume and 43.8% in money, pear – by 15% and 9.5%, respectively. Although overall category sales increased by 18.3% in volume terms and 28.7% in monetary terms due to apple, berry and cherry flavored ciders, according to NielsenIQ data.

Kommersant’s interlocutor on the market explains the reduction in poiret production by difficulties with the supply of pear concentrate, which, before the geopolitical crisis, due to military operations in Ukraine, was imported primarily from the EU. And the reduction in imports of European cider could also affect the dynamics of sales, he points out. Nikolai Zhelagin, founder of the Beru Vykhodny chain of stores, says that a significant part of cider suppliers have left Russia.

Alexander Kazakov, chairman of the National Association of Traditional Cider Producers, also believes that the sharp decline in poiret production is most likely due to a reduction in the production of the drink from the concentrate, as well as a possible shortage of aromatic additives. According to him, several companies produce fruit poire in Russia, and the share of such a drink on the market does not exceed 1%. There are very few suitable pears in Russia, and the technology for producing poiret is more complicated than cider, and there are more risks, Mr. Kazakov explains. Apple Spas (St. Anton brand) says that cider production and sales are growing by 12-15% in annual terms, and their pear orchards allow producing poiré as well.

Alexei Aksel, CEO of Volkovskaya Brewery, says that poire has always occupied about 10% of the total cider market and, probably, the beverage producers switched to a wider segment. In addition, the production of cider from local apples and locally produced concentrated juice is growing in Russia, and there may be less raw material for poiret, he adds. Nikolai Zhelagin also believes that poire producers could change the recipe of drinks, which transferred the products to another segment. For example, a Kommersant source says, Baltika (part of the Carlsberg Group) has transferred the Somersby brand from cider to the category of beer drinks. Baltika explained this by changing the recipe in response to consumer requests.

The largest cider producers do not note a decrease in production and sales. Marketing Director of AB InBev Efes (Bon Season cider) Maria Dementieva says that in eight months of sales, the company’s brand has taken second place in the Russian market. AB InBev Efes launched pear cider in December 2022 and plans new launches this year, she says. Danil Shikanov, brand manager of the Mister Fox brand (part of the portfolio of the Russian Heineken structure), notes that sales of the drink in 2022 increased by 26% in volume, and the share reached 59% of the market. There were no problems with the ingredients in the companies.

Anatoly Kostyrev