Australian cider takeover

[gregbathurst]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-12/accc-raises-concerns-on-asahi-cub-takeover/11791962

"The proposed acquisition would combine the two largest suppliers of cider in a highly concentrated market," ACCC chair Rod Sims said.

"A combined Asahi-CUB would control the Somersby, Strongbow, Mercury and Bulmers cider brands, which account for about two-thirds of cider sales.

"We are concerned that the proposed acquisition may lead to higher cider prices."

I don't drink any of that stuff (though I only drink my own cider anyway). When the link said "Concentrated cider market" I thought it would be about cheap concentrate from china.

 

[Chalkyt]

I think that in the article Rod Simms is referring to market concentration (i.e. a small number of major players). However on the topic of cider from cheap imported concentrate, James Kendall from Small Acres Cider (near Orange NSW) has an interesting "party trick" where he demonstrates how a litre of the cheap imported AJ concentrate can be diluted, fermented, pasteurised, filtered, carbonated then flavoured and sweetened via industrial processes to flood the market with cheap alcopop "cider".

Anyhow back to the article. Wow, I am surprised firstly that the big players have so much of the market, and secondly that the well known brands are in their clutches.

Like you, I would rather drink my own. Most of the "commercial" ones are too sweet, but that is probably why they sell so well.