All beer prices to rise?

Press, 12 May 1987, Page 2

All beer prices to rise?

PA Auckland Beer drinkers look likely to pay more, irrespective of their choice of brew, as Dominion Breweries considers its prices in light of Increases in Lion beers.. New Zealand Breweries (Lion) has announced it will raise the cost of its beer up to 13 per cent The average increase is more than • per cent with draught going up 8.1 per cent and cans of Steinlager by 13 per cent The increase in the wholesale cost of Lion draught became effective yesterday but is not likely to be noticed in hotels until next week. It will lift the price of the average Jug to around $3.38 in public bars. Dominion Breweries* chief executive, Mr Graeme Hawkins, yesterday confirmed his company would review its prices in light of the Lion move. He said executives were meeting to consider their position.

Mr Hawkins said the costs the two breweries face were very similar but it vtas too early to say what the D.B. response would be.

New Zealand Breweries’ managing director, Mr Ron Endley, has cited input costs as the reason for his company’s price increases. He said all costs had risen with packaging going up 17 to 18 per cent. He said the brewery had absorbed a number of the increases itself.