NORWAY: Month down, quarter up at Vinmonopolet

By just-drinks.com editorial team | 22 April 2008

The early Easter hit sales at Vinmonopolet last month, although quarterly sales recorded a slight rise.

Figures from the Norwegian alcohol retail monopoly, released today (22 April), showed sales in March dip by 2.9% on the same month a year earlier, totalling 6.1m litres. All drinks categories were down, with table wine slipping 3% to 4.9m litres, and spirits down 1.8% to 1.1m litres.

In calendar-adjusted terms, sales in the month recorded a 1.3% lift.

For the quarter, meanwhile, total sales increased by 4% on the corresponding quarter in 2007, reaching 15.9m litres. Table wine sales were up by 4.2% at 12.8m litres, with spirits up 4.1% to 2.7m litres. Sales of beer in the three-month period,

Vinmonopolet moved away from wholesale alcohol sales in 1996 to concentrate solely on retail in the company. The split came about to adhere to a European Economic Area agreement in 1994.

Sectors: Beer & cider, Spirits, Wine