In 2010 the Feldschlösschen company held its own within a highly competitive environment. The brand Feldschlösschen was once again able to strengthen its leading position in the Swiss beer market. Yet, even the Feldschlösschen company was unable to completely elude the negative trend of the domestic beers in the Swiss market (-0.5%): The total volume of national and international beer brands produced by Feldschlösschen declined by -0.3%. With the concentration of the beer production at the Rheinfelden site, which was initiated last year, Feldschlösschen opportunely prepared for the future challenges.
Compared to the previous year, the entire Swiss beer market benefitted from the good, warm weather and an increase in sales as a result of the Football World Cup during the first half of 2010. By contrast, in the second half the poor weather and the newly introduced smoking ban in the gastronomy had a negative impact. In 2010 the Swiss beer market grew by +1.0%, whereby the total domestic production declined again by -0.5%, whilst the beer imports increased significantly by +6.7% once more.
The brand Feldschlösschen benefits thanks to successful innovation
Even the Feldschlösschen company, with its extensive portfolio of Swiss brand beers, was unable to completely elude the unfavourable development of the domestic beers on the overall market: The total volume of the national and regional brand beers brewed by Feldschlösschen declined by -0.3% compared to the previous year. The total beverage volume (including mineral water) decreased by -0.7%, and the turnover declined by -2.3%.
In the light of the unfavourable development of the domestic beers, the positive result of Switzerland’s most well-known beer brand is all the more remarkable: The brand Feldschlösschen defied the negative trend and was once again able to increase market shares. The new product ‘Feldschlösschen Premium’ contributed notably to this pleasing result. The next new launch is already on the market: ‘Feldschlösschen Bügel’, a special beer brewed specifically for the traditional swing top bottle, which was launched at the beginning of 2011, has made a successful start in the gastronomy.
Great challenges and changes
“We are facing great challenges and changes in the Swiss beer market”, Feldschlösschen CEO Thomas Metzger emphasises. In this context he names the ongoing shift from the catering industry towards the retail trade, the continuous increase of low-priced imported beers in the Swiss market and the sustained political pressure on the entire sector. “It is all the more important that we continue to work on our efficiency and set the right course early on in a highly competitive market. The initiated concentration of the beer production at the Rheinfelden site enables us to secure our competitiveness in the long term and strengthen our market position further.” Feldschlösschen had announced last August that it was to move the production of the ‘Cardinal’ beer to Rheinfelden as from June 2011 and to close the Fribourg site.
The planned revision of the law on alcohol is of the utmost importance to Feldschlösschen CEO Thomas Metzger. “There is a threat of a multitude of further unnecessary regulations that would damage the entire sector and therefore jeopardise jobs. The consistent enforcement of the existing laws would surely be a more effective measure rather than issuing new regulations.”
Support for the national brand Cardinal
“Over the coming year we will focus our activities on the brand Cardinal,” Thomas Metzger announced. “With attractive promotions and surprising new product launches we are going to develop the brand Cardinal, which is one of the Nation’s favourites. A further important element are the five large-scale music festivals in German-speaking and western Switzerland, which are sponsored by Cardinal (Paléo, Rock Oz'Arènes, Gampel, Gurten and Zurich Openair). Having just signed a new sponsoring agreement with HC Fribourg-Gottéron, Feldschlösschen shows that the brand Cardinal will continue to be of great significance for the company in the future, particularly in the Fribourg Region.
A highlight of the Feldschlösschen calendar will be the ‘Open Day’ on 3 September 2011 in Rheinfelden, which will celebrate Feldschlösschen’s 135th anniversary. “The pioneering spirit of the founders, who lay the foundations for the success story of Feldschlösschen in 1876, lives on and is as quintessential today as it was 135 years ago,” CEO Thomas Metzger emphasises. “Reason enough to drink to the company with pride and a glass of Feldschlösschen.”
Feldschlösschen: CO2 emissions reduced by 19% since 2007
In 2010 the Feldschlösschen company once again reduced its CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, in fact by -5.3%. Therefore, the target of decreasing the CO2 emissions by at least 4% was exceeded.
In 2007 Feldschlösschen entered into a target commitment with the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and has since been co-operating intensely with the ‘Energieagentur der Wirtschaft (EnAW – Energy Agency of the Economy)’. Since 2007 Feldschlösschen reduced its CO2 emissions from fossil fuels by a total of 19%.
For the coming years Feldschlösschen has scheduled further reductions of 4% annually at minimum. In order to considerably reduce the CO2 emissions from motor fuels (diesel, petrol), the company is investing in a new fleet of HGVs. In total Feldschlösschen is procuring 136 vehicles that comply with the latest environmental standards. Furthermore, since autumn 2010 Feldschlösschen has used five light electric lorries for supplying customers in the catering industry. The completely CO2-free vehicles are used in the urban regions of Basel, Zurich, Berne, Geneva, and in Ticino.
Overview of the total Swiss beer market 2010
Volume 2010
Change compared to
previous year
Domestic output -0.5%
Beer imports +6.7%
Total Swiss beer market +1.0%
Source: Schweizerischer Brauereiverband (Swiss Association of Breweries)
Overview of the Feldschlösschen company's operationg figures 2010
Volume 2010
Change compared to
previous year
Beer volume: Domestic output -0.3%
Mineral water +0.9%
Total beverages +1.0%
Data excluding exports
Net sales 2010
Change compared to
previous year
Beer (incl. non-alcoholic beers,
excl. export) -1.7%
Mineral water -6.9%
Total beverages -2.3%
The Feldschlösschen company
Feldschlösschen Ltd., located in Rheinfelden, is Switzerland’s leading brewery. Feldschlösschen stands for 135 years of brewing tradition and expertise, and employs 1,300 personnel all over Switzerland. Feldschlösschen produces and sells, among other things, the beer brands Feldschlösschen, Cardinal, Carlsberg, Hürlimann, Gurten, Warteck and Valaisanne, the mineral water brands Rhäzünser and Arkina, as well as the licensed product Schweppes. As a part of the Carlsberg Group, Feldschlösschen benefits from the network and dynamics of the worldwide brewery group.
www.feldschloesschen.com