December 16 (SeeNews) - The Bulgarian unit of Danish beer maker Carlsberg said on Friday its sales volume increased by an annual 26.6% in the January-November period.
Carlsberg Bulgaria's market share increased by an annual 4.3% to 27% in the review period, the company said in a press release.
The Pirinsko brand had a 16.4% share of the Bulgarian market at the end of November. The brand increased its sales volumes by an annual 25%.
The other big local brand, part of the company's portfolio, Shumensko, increased its sales volumes by 32%, mainly due to the new 330 ml bottle, re-launched in 2016 to mark the brand's 50th anniversary
Carlsberg operates two breweries in Bulgaria, in Blagoevgrad and Shumen.
Carlsberg acquired a majority stake in the Shumen brewery, in northeastern Bulgaria in 2002. Later that same year Carlsberg became the majority owner of the brewery in Blagoevgrad, in southwestern Bulgaria. The two breweries were merged into Carlsberg Bulgaria in 2004. They have a combined annual production capacity of 1.8 million hectolitres.
Carlsberg Bulgaria's product portfolio includes the Shumensko and Pirinsko brands, alongside international beer brands Carlsberg, Tuborg, Budweiser Budvar and Erdinger, and the Somersby cider.