Baltica and the IPC notified retailers of raising beer prices
Following the “United Brewery” and Ab Inbev Efes, the Moscow brewing company and Baltika announced an average of 10-15%. Among the main reasons is an increase in the amount of excise tax on products and instability of the exchange rate, since thereOThe most raw materials, manufacturers have to import. Nevertheless, experts believe that if the situation in the foreign exchange market stabilizes, then until the end of 2025 a significant increase in prices can be avoided.
Two major beer manufacturers – Baltika (Baltic brands, Czech Bear, Arsenalnaya) and the Moscow brewer company (MPC; Khamovniki, Zhiguli Barny, Count Orlov, Hollandia) – notified retailers of raising selling prices for their products. “Kommersant” has copies of the relevant letters. The IPC reports an average of 10-15%of indexation, the Baltic does not specify the amount of increase in value.
Since the beginning of 2025, Baltika has already raised vacation prices for plant beer by an average of 10%, says Kommersant's interlocutor among retailers. The company confirmed the fact of sending letters to retailers. The MPC did not answer the questions “Kommersant”.
Baltika writes to retail chains that the main cause of indexation was the annual increase in excise tax.
Since the beginning of this year, this fee for beer with a fortress of 0.5% to 8.6% increased to 30 rubles. for 1 liter against 26 rubles. At the end of 2024. The IPC notifies retailers that there is also a significant increase in the cost of beer production.
According to an independent expert of the alcohol market Alexei Bolsin, from January 1, 2025, a bottle and corrugated man were most expensive. In addition, he explains, in Russia there is practically no hops and local companies are forced to import it for currency with constant volatility of the course.
Almost all Russian beer manufacturers have already raised vacation prices, added by Mr. Malsin. According to him, first of all, it was done by small brewers, since they have a small “safety margin”. Prior to this, an average of 9.8% of the price for its products was raised by the Joint Brewery Holding (previously Heineken in the Russian Federation; Brends of Three Bear, Hunt, Zhigulevskoye 1978 and Bochkarev). About 10% of retailers were also notified of AB InBEV EFES, Medovarus, the Belarusian LLC Krinitsa-Trade, as well as the Gosselian Logistic District (Gosseli Logistiks (see “Kommersant” dated 23 December, 2024).
As for the Baltic and the MPC, they probably were able to make large stocks of products at the end of 2024, which allowed them to raise wholesale prices later than other manufacturers.
According to EGAIS, in November – December, beer shipments in Russia increased by about 20% of the year.
The interlocutor of Kommersant in a large brewing company notes that in addition to increasing the excise tax, prices are facilitated by the reasons that have already become traditional for all sectors – a high key rate of the Central Bank at 21% and the total increase in inflation. The cost of the release of beer seriously presses the need to increase the wage fund, whose share now in the total cost of some manufacturers already reaches 40%, says the co -owner of the SVAM Group distributor and GLETCher brewery Igor Khavsky.
Import beer also gets more expensive, which is associated not only with fluctuations in the ruble exchange rate, but also with the duties of such products from unfriendly countries from € 0.1 to € 1 per 1 liter increased at the end of 2024. As a result, according to Igor Khavsky, this led to the rise in the cost of foreign beer on average to 130-140 rubles. for 1 l. Nevertheless, if the situation in the foreign exchange market stabilizes, during 2025, beer prices should not rise additionally, the expert expects.
According to the Rosalkoltabakcontrol, in 2024 in the Russian Federation, beer production increased by 10.3% year by year, to 789 million decalits.
According to the Nielsen research company, for the same period, 82.4% of the sales of all alcohol in the country accounted for the same period. The products manufactured in the Russian Federation account for 95% of all sales in the category, while for imported – only 5%. According to Nielsen, in January 2025, natural beer sales increased by 7.9% year by the year, cash – by 27.1%.
