January 31 (SeeNews) - Bulgarian brewer Zagorka, part of Dutch group Heineken, said on Tuesday it controlled 31.2% of the local market in terms of volume and 35.2% in terms of value in 2011.
"This market share makes us a market leader in Bulgaria," the company's general manager, Ruud van den Eijnden, told SeeNews on the sidelines of a news conference held by the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria (UBB).
Zagorka's products are generally a little bit higher priced, which is the reason for the difference in the market share in terms of volume and value, he explained.
Van den Eijnden, however, said that in 2011 the company was a bit more affected by the crisis than its competitors because of the higher price of its products and because it is strong on the hotels, restaurants and cafes segment which was hit harder by the crisis than off-trade channels.
Van den Eijnden declined to give a figure for the company's sales in 2011 or to make forecasts for 2012.
"It is extremely difficult to predict the market because economic news changes every day basically," he said. "Of course, we are always optimistic."
Zagorka's main rivals on the local market are Kamenitza, owned by StarBev, Carlsberg Bulgaria, part of Danish brewer Carlsberg, as well as locally-owned brewers Boliarka VT and Lomsko Pivo. The five brewers, which make up the UBB, account for over 85% of the domestic market.