Jump to content

Asahi Breweries

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Asahi (company)" redirects here. For other companies, seeAsahi (disambiguation) § Companies.
"Super Dry" redirects here. For the British clothing label, seeSuperdry.
Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd.
Native name
アサヒグループホールディングス kabushiki gaisha
Company typePublic
TYO:2502
TOPIX Large 70 Component
IndustryBeverage
PredecessorAsahi Beer Co., Ltd. (1949-1989)
Asahi Breweries, Ltd. (1989-2010)
FoundedSeptember 1, 1949;75 years ago(1949-09-01)
HeadquartersAzumabashi,
Sumida, Tokyo
,
Japan
Key people
Akiyoshi Koji (presidentand Representative Director,CEO)
Products
  • Beer
  • Beverages
RevenueIncrease¥2.120 trillion(2018)[1]
Increase¥221.383 billion(2018)
Increase¥150.938 billion(2018)
Total assetsIncrease¥3.079 trillion(2018)
Total equityIncrease¥1.149 trillion(2018)
Websitewww.asahigroup-holdings/en/

TheAsahi Group Holdings, Ltd.(アサヒグループホールディングス kabushiki gaisha,Asahi Gurūpu Hōrudingusu kabushiki gaisha)is a Japanese beverage holding company headquartered inSumida, Tokyo.

Advertisement onGolborne Road,London

In 2019, the group had revenue of JPY 2.1 trillion. Asahi's business portfolio can be segmented as follows:alcoholic beveragebusiness (40.5%), overseas business (32%), soft drinks business (17.2%), food business (5.4%) and "other" business (4.9%).[2]Asahi, with a 37% market share, is the largest of the four major beer brewers in Japan followed byKirin Beerwith 34% andSuntorywith 16%.[3]In response to a maturing domestic Japanese beer market, Asahi broadened its geographic footprint and business portfolio through the acquisition of highly coveted beer businesses in Western Europe and Central Eastern Europe.[4]This has resulted in Asahi having a large market share in many European countries, such as a beer market share of 44% in theCzech Republic,32% inPoland,36% inRomania,and 18% inItaly.[5]

History

[edit]

The predecessor of the company, Asahi Breweries(Mặt trời mới mọc mạch rượu kabushiki gaisha),was established in 1889. In 1893, it was reorganized as Ōsaka Breweries(Osaka mạch rượu kabushiki gaisha).In 1906, Ōsaka Breweries merged with Nippon Breweries and Sapporo Breweries to form Dai-Nippon Breweries(Đại Nhật Bản mạch rượu kabushiki gaisha,lit. 'Great Japan Beer Company').DuringWorld War I,Germanprisoners worked in the brewery.[6]

AfterWorld War II,the company was divided under the Elimination of Excessive Concentration of Economic Power Law by theSupreme Commander for the Allied Powers.Asahi Breweries(Mặt trời mới mọc mạch rượu kabushiki gaisha)was separated from Nippon Breweries, which is nowSapporo Breweries.In 1989, it was renamed tokatakana(アサヒビール kabushiki gaisha).In 2011, it changed its name to Asahi Group Holdings, a holding company, and established Asahi Breweries Ltd as a subsidiary.[7]

In 1990, Asahi acquired a 19.9% stake inAustralianbrewery giantElders IXLwhich has since become theFoster's Group,later sold toSABMiller.

In 2009, Asahi acquired the Australian beverages unitSchweppes Australia,[8]now known as Asahi Beverages.

In early 2009, Asahi acquired 19.9% ofTsingtao BreweryfromAnheuser-Busch InBevfor $667 million. The sale made Asahi Breweries, Ltd. the second largest shareholder in Tsingtao behind only the Tsingtao Brewery Group.[9]

In July 2011, Asahi acquiredNew Zealandjuice makerCharlie'sand the water and juice divisions of Australian beverage companyP&N Beverages.[10]

In August 2011, Asahi acquired New Zealand's Independent Liquor, maker ofVodka Cruiserand other alcoholic beverages, for¥97.6billion.[11]

In May 2013 its New Zealand operations expanded with the purchase of retail chain Mill Liquorsave.[12]Also, Asahi acquired the Australian brands and assets of Cricketers Arms andMountain Goat Breweryin 2013 and 2015, respectively.[13]

The first of these transactions happened as a result ofAnheuser-Busch InBev(InBev) agreeing in April 2016 to sell its Dutch businessGrolsch Brewery,Italian businessPeroni Breweryand the UK's craftMeantime Breweryand SABMiller Brands UK to Asahi; this €2.3 billion deal closed on 12 October 2016.[14][15]After Inbev's acquisition ofSABMillerin October 2016, InBev agreed to sell the former SABMiller Ltd.'s Eastern European businesses and relevant assets inPoland,theCzech Republic,Slovakia,HungaryandRomaniato Asahi for US $7.3 billion. The deal closed on 21 December 2016 and included beer brands such asPilsner Urquell,Velkopopovický Kozel,Topvar,Tyskie,Lech,DreherandUrsus.[16][17]

In 2017, the company sold its 19.9% stake of Tsingtao Brewery for $937 million.[18]

In 2019, the company boughtFuller's beer business fromFuller, Smith & Turnerplc for an enterprise value of £250 million. The assets sold comprised the entirety of Fuller's beer, cider and soft drinks brewing and production, wine wholesaling, as well as the distribution thereof and also includes the Griffin Brewery, Cornish Orchards, Dark Star Brewing and Nectar Imports.[19]

In May 2020, the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board approved the company's $16 billion bid forCarlton & United Breweries,and the deal will see Asahi ending up with about 48.5 per cent share of the Australian beer market.[20]

Brands

[edit]

The company's primary beer, from 1957 through the late 1980s, wasAsahi Gold(overtakingAsahi Draft,its original formula, which remains in production). However,Asahi Super Dry,introduced in 1987, is now the company's flagship beer brand.

Asahi Super Dry
350 ml can
500 ml bottle

Asahi Super Dry,a product that transformed the modern beer industry in Japan, is described as a highlyattenuatedlagerwithout the heavier malt flavors of competitors' products, with a crisp, dry taste reminiscent of some northern German beers.[21]This highly successful launch led to a significant rise in consumer demand fordry beerand in turn to a dramatic turnaround in Asahi's business performance, surpassing Kirin in terms of both sales and profitability.

Other beers produced include:

  • Asahi Draft– Lager (first produced in 1892)
  • Asahi Gold– Lager (former flagship product; first produced in 1957)
  • AsahiStout
  • Asahi Z– Dry lager
  • Asahi Black– a 5%ABVdark lager
  • Asahi Prime Time– GermanPilsenerstyle lager (only available in Japan)
  • Asahi Super Dry - Dry Crystal– a version of Asahi Super Dry with a 3.5% ABV as opposed to the 5% ABV of the original (available in Japan since October 2023)
  • Asahi Dry Zero –alcohol-freeversion of Asahi Super Dry

Brands acquired fromAnheuser-Busch InBev:

Asahi Beer Hall

[edit]
Main article:Asahi Beer Hall

Asahi Breweries' headquarters in Tokyo were designed by French designerPhilippe Starck.The Beer Hall is considered one of Tokyo's most recognizable modern structures.[7]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"2018_annual_financial_statement".RetrievedFebruary 14,2019.
  2. ^"Our Business | ASAHI GROUP HOLDINGSS".ASAHI GROUP HOLDINGS.
  3. ^"Fact book"(PDF).asahigroup-holdings.2019.Retrieved2020-08-25.
  4. ^"Asahi Group's History".ASAHI GROUP HOLDINGS.
  5. ^"Factbook 2020"(PDF).asahigroup-holdings.August 6, 2020.Retrieved31 December2021.
  6. ^Romein, Jan (1962).The Asian Century: A History of Modern Nationalism in Asia.University of California Press. p. 124.
  7. ^abOliver, Garrett, ed. (2012).The Oxford Companion to Beer.Oxford University Press. p. 67.ISBN978-0-19-536713-3.
  8. ^Palmer, Daniel (December 25, 2008)."Asahi acquires Cadbury's Schweppes, Coca-Cola still eligible to make counter offer".Australian Food News.Retrieved2013-09-04.
  9. ^"Asahi buying Tsingtao stake".The New York Times.February 3, 2009.Retrieved2013-09-04.
  10. ^Fujimura, Naoko; Withers, Tracy (July 4, 2011)."Asahi Group to Purchase Charlie's, P&N Water, Juice Units".Bloomberg.Retrieved2013-09-04.
  11. ^Kachi, Hiroyuki (August 18, 2011)."Asahi to buy Independent Liquor".The Australian.Retrieved2013-09-04.
  12. ^McBeth, Paul (May 20, 2013)."Independent Liquor buys Mill chain for undisclosed sum".Scoop.co.nz.Retrieved2013-09-04.
  13. ^Lynch, Jared (28 September 2015)."Asahi buys Australian craft beer brewer Mountain Goat".Fairfax Media. The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved7 February2016.
  14. ^Phil Serafino; Rachel Chang (2016-04-19)."AB InBev Accepts Asahi Offer to Buy Grolsch, Peroni and Meantime Beer Brands".Bloomberg.Retrieved3 February2017.
  15. ^ Evison, James (12 October 2016)."Asahi Completes acquisition of Miller Brands U.K."Morning Advertiser.William Reed Business Media.Retrieved3 February2017.
  16. ^"Asahi Group to buy InBev beer brands for $7.8bn".Financier Worldwide.February 2017.Retrieved1 February2017.
  17. ^"Anheuser-Busch InBev to Sell Former SABMiller's Central and Eastern European Business to Asahi".Bloomberg News.Bloomberg. 21 December 2016.Retrieved1 February2017.
  18. ^"Asahi to sell Tsingtao Brewery stake to Fosun, others for $937 million".Reuters.2017-12-20.Retrieved2017-12-20.
  19. ^"A new chapter in our history".Fuller's.25 January 2019.Retrieved28 October2023.
  20. ^Gray, Darren (2020-05-07)."Japanese brewer Asahi's $16 billion bid for CUB gets FIRB approval".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved2020-05-08.
  21. ^Oliver, Garrett (2012).The Oxford Companion to Beer.Oxford University Press. p. 503.ISBN978-0-19-536713-3.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Asahi_Breweries&oldid=1243807769"