GUINNESS ANCHOR expects sales for 2008 Chinese New Year season which fell on Feb 7, 2008 to be its best ever due to moves to understand the consumer purchasing habits during the festive period.
MD CHARLES IRELAND was reported by STARLONLINE on Feb 4, 2008 that estimated sales to be around 10% higher duringthe current CNY period from the same period a year agoare due to the tweaks on its offerings made last year.
IRELAND said that the market of yesteryear had been justabout price, where consumers would wait until the last possible minute for the price of beer to drop before making their purchases which resulted in GAB introducing a new strategy of adding value for consumers during the CNY period. The added value strategy, as opposed to price discounts, resulted in volume growth last year and that strategytogether with the introduction of Dragon Mission is expected to result the Company further increasing its volume growth in 2008. The Dragon Mission is a community driven, fund-raising initiative for Chinese education.
This year GUINESS had added to its support of Chinese education a fund mechanism where consumers could directly contribute money to Chinese education through the purchase of a pack of Tiger, Guinness, Heineken or Anchor.
For each of those packs sold in supermarkets, a donation ofRM3 would go to a central fund for Chinese education.
For bottles bought at refreshment outlets or coffee shops, the owner of the coffee shop will nominate up to three schools where money could be channelled. From the sale of each big bottle, 30 sen would be given to Chinese schools.
IRELAND said the response from the public hadbeen great, as some packs were sold out in supermarkets and more bottles were being sold at refreshment outlets.
He said it was GAB's ambition to raise RM1mil in the 6-weekperiod