Total beer sales in Canada have dropped 7.3 per cent compared to last year, according to a report by Beer Canada.
The drop in sales has been attributed to a variety of reasons.
First, is the labor shortage. Due to the labor shortage, restaurants are either closing earlier, or not opening some days during the week. Many locations are now opening only five days, as opposed to seven days as before. Secondly, public events are back, but there have been fewer of them across the country. And attendance in many cases have dropped significantly from pre-COVID standards. As for consumers, drinking habits have changed. Sales for beer consumed at restaurants and events remain 35 per cent to 40 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. Over the last three years or so, many consumers have been drawn instead to wine, spirits and other products. Seltzer and ready-to-drink alternatives are also becoming more popular.
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