adminDOHA. – With only three weeks to go for the FIFA World Cup 2022, beer sales are set to skyrocket during the 29-day tournament, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Budweiser is the official sponsor of the alcoholic drink during the tournament.
Recently, Arabian Business reported that fans will have to pay US$11 to purchase a 330mil beer bottle. This made it the most expensive beer in the world, according to a report by the World Beer Index 2021.
“Stocking up for the FIFA 2022 World Cup, which starts November 20, has been a monumental undertaking for the World Cup’s official beer.
“The beverage brand expects more beer will be consumed during the tournament than would typically happen during an entire year in the country,” Peter Kraemer, AB InBev’s chief supply officer told Bloomberg.
“Trucks will be loaded overnight indoors, then dispatched to deliver the product the next day to restaurants and fan areas where alcohol can be served,” the report said.
“Beer is a perishable product, so it’s always best the day it’s packed,” Kraemer told Bloomberg.
“We manage our supply chain very closely for the amount of time that it takes for products to get from point A to point B, and then also the conditions under which they’re shipped preserve the taste of the beer.”
Kraemer also added that AB InBev’s decisions about the quantity of beer shipped to the country have been made based on “extensive data-crunching, but his team does have a back-up plan if fans drink far more than planned.”
Qatar, which does not have breweries in the region, saw AB InBev, the producer of Budweiser, ship its product to the region by ocean freight, then find refrigerated warehouse space to protect from the country’s ultra-hot weather, with temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit through the end of October.
The plan includes the company setting aside packages of bottles and cans that are ready to be filled in a brewery in the United Kingdom and shipped by air on short notice, according to the Bloomberg report.
Early in September this year, Qatar finalised the policy of beer sales at FIFA World Cup 2022, with alcoholic beer being sold exclusively by Budweiser, a major World Cup sponsor.
Fans can also purchase alcoholic beer at World Cup soccer matches starting three hours before kickoff and for one hour after the final whistle, but not during the match.
Beer will be served within the ticketed perimeter surrounding each stadium, but not in the stadium stands or concourse. Budweiser will also be allowed to serve beer in part of the main FIFA fan zone in central Doha “from 6:30pm to 1:00am every day of the 29-day tournament,” sources with knowledge of the matter previously told Reuters.
Budweiser will also open sales of its non-alcoholic beer, Budweiser Zero, in stadium concourses and stands during games and at other fan sites, the source said.
Budweiser is hoping that it can benefit from a “second summer” of elevated beer sales – but they’re not expecting the Qatari market to drive the boost. And executives hope that the Budweiser logo, splayed across LED billboards behind players, will be unmissable, Bloomberg said. – arabianbusiness.com
Online Reporter