The beer industry is doing well in Quebec, but it also has strong competition from imported beers and other categories of alcoholic beverages. This may be a good reason rethink the branding of your bottle or can. The AMBQ’s annual convention (Association of Microbreweries of Québec), to be held from November 20 to 22, could be an ideal opportunity to do so. Come and see us there on November 20 or 21!
Competition from imported beers
Quebec consumers are increasingly taking advantage of the growing variety of available brewed beverages. On the other hand, they don’t necessarily “buy local” when they try new things. According to the latest report from Beer Canada, total beer sales in Quebec increased by only 0.1% from 2014 to 2015 (from 5,937,034 hectoliters in 2014 to 5,942.721 in 2015), while imported beers showed a marked increase of 4.3%, from 931,167 to 970,944 hectoliters. It’s well known that micro-breweries are gaining ground on the major North America major beer brands, but clearly, they are not the only ones.
Growth of coolers and spirit sales
According to the same report, beer in general is declining compared to other categories of alcohol when it comes to consumption in liters per person in Quebec. In 2015, while beer declined by -0.5%, consumption of “coolers” increased by 7.3% and that of spirits grew by 3%. Wine also increased slightly by 0.8%.
The good news is that beer is still by far the most consumed liquor of all these categories put together (71.94 liters per person, compared to a total of 22.63 liters for all others).
AMBQ Annual Convention
The AMBQ’s annual convention is the ideal event to reflect on and discuss how to reverse these trends. Micro-breweries and partners of all kinds will be present. It’s an indispensable event where you get to see the best of what’s available in the beer industry. You’ll also discover new marketing ideas that can make your products more impactful.
IMS can offer you a turn-key canning solution
Thanks to a multi-year partnership in Western Canada with Westcoast Canning, IMS now proudly offers turnkey services to Quebec microbrewers in exclusive partnership with Session Canning.
- Shrink Sleeve and labels
- Cans and sleeve application all in one place
- Printed cans
- Mobile canning
To learn more about what we have to offer, click here or come and meet us at booth #56.
To learn more about the AMBQ convention see their website.