Licensees missing out on imported lager, says NOFIBS

Licensees are missing out on a big opportunity to increase their margins with genuine imported lager.

Six out of ten (61 per cent) premium lager drinkers would be happy to pay more than they currently do for a genuine imported beer, according to research commissioned by the National Organisation for Imported Beers (NOFIBS). Three out of 10 of these would be happy to pay 30p more per drink.

Licensees are completely unaware of this opportunity, according to the report, with many believing that it is "not important for their customers to know whether a beer was a genuine import or brewed under licence".

NOFIBS chairman John Harley called these findings "a wake-up call to the trade". He told The Publican: "Consumers are very happy to pay more for genuine imports and this needs to be brought to the attention of licensees."

Jackie Macey, licensee of the Fountain Inn, in Clent, Worcestershire, said the report's findings rang true. "Recently we had a few young guys come into the pub and ask for a white beer. So we put in Hoegaarden and are selling it at £3 a pint, and it is going down really well," she said. "We wouldn't have considered putting it in had it not been for the demand."

However, Tracy Bird, licensee of the Newman Arms in central London, warned that tenants who are keen to put more genuine imported brands in their pubs might be prevented from doing so because they are locked into tie agreements.

"People are definitely more adventurous and discerning these days - you can see that with wine," she said. "But my tie agreement means I wouldn't be able to stock many other beers."

The research, undertaken by CGA Centro, consisted of four consumer focus groups, over 1,700 personal interviews and over 500 telephone interviews.