The German brewer, Holsten Brauerei, has announced that it is considering cutting working hours at some of its breweries in response to falling sales following the German government’s introduction of deposits on cans and bottles at the beginning of the year.
Holsten said sales of canned and bottled beer had fallen by 20% during the first 12 days of the year although sales in glass bottles had increased. But the brewer said it was now considering introducing shorter working hours for around 600 of its 2,643 staff for a six-month period.
“We don’t know whether this purchasing restraint is because people stocked up on beer before Christmas or because they’ve gone off beer altogether,” Holsten spokesman Udo Franke said.
