The financial comparison site Finder has published a list of 10 cities in the world where travelers can enjoy the most affordable glasses of beer, including HCM City, Vietnam’s largest metropolis.

The dual pressures from COVID-19 and Decree 100 force beer manufacturers to cut 30-70 per cent of their target profits this year.

Nine industries could be negatively affected in the short term by the fallout of the coronavirus epidemic, according to SSI Securities Corp.

Restaurants are reporting a sharp fall in the number of customers after a few days the new fines on drink driving took effect.

Heineken is no longer Sabeco’s (code: SAB) large shareholder as it has just sold 5.2 million SAB stocks worth VND1.219 trillion ($53 million).

Heineken was a direct competitor of Thaibev for the acquisition of Sabeco in late 2017. However, Thaibev won the race by spending US$4.89 billion for a nearly 54% stake of Sabeco.

Despite tripling expenses on advertisement and promotion programmes in the third quarter, Habeco still reported a decrease in net profit.

 The 14th National Assembly discussed the draft Law on Preventing and Combating Harmful Effects of Alcohol and Beer during the ongoing sixth session in Hanoi on November 16. 

The liquor and beer industry contributed VND50 trillion to the national economy in 2017, but the total damages to society might be up to 1.3-3.3 percent of GDP, equal to VND65 trillion.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese beer brands still hold 70 percent of market share, but tastes are changing and people are spending more on high-end products.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam remains one of the few beer markets in the world which is still maintaining high growth. However, not all breweries have succeeded in the market.

According to Ban Viet Securities (VCSC), the Vietnamese beer market is now controlled by Sabeco which holds 40 percent of market share, Heineken 25 percent, Habeco 18 percent and Carlsberg 10.8 percent. 

FTAs not only have helped reduce input costs of beer production, but have also turned Vietnam into a jumping board for foreign breweries to conquer the Southeast Asian and Asia Pacific markets, according to FPT Securities.

VietNamNet Bridge - Beer companies have been prospering in Vietnam, a large market with 90 million people and consumption of 3.8 billion liters of beer in 2016.

VietNamNet Bridge - Foreign brewers often set up joint ventures with Vietnamese partners and then take over the capital contribution from the Vietnamese partners. Why do they have to take this roundabout path to enter the market?

VietNamNet Bridge - The sale of Sabeco, the largest beer manufacturer, and Vinamilk, the largest dairy producer, is expected to bring great opportunities to foreign investors.

Some local newspapers recently quoted the Vietnam Beverage Association as saying that in 2015 Vietnam’s beer output reached 3.4 billion liters, an increase of 40.72% compared with 2010 and alcohol output (industrial production) of 70 million liters.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ho Chi Minh City has ranked sixth among the top 10 cheapest cities to buy beer across the world, with a bottle costing £1.15, according to the UK Daily Telegraph.

 VietNamNet Bridge - My mission was to visit at least 8 beer establishments this day and maybe more. I landed in Saigon by 11 am and i jumped on the rented motorbike and started my mission.