Crate expectations, Moscow shops stockpile beer for World Cup fans after reported shortages

MOSCOW: Moscow’s shops are stocking up on beer to slake the thirst of World Cup fans after some bars reported shortages.

At a branch of Russian supermarket chain Azbuka Vkusa crates of Heineken, Guinness and local brands like Zolotaya Bochka blocked the aisles on Friday.

Thousands of foreign fans in the Russian capital for the monthlong soccer tournament have been partying until the small hours, guzzling beer in bars and restaurants and spilling over onto the streets.

“There’s beer everywhere,” an Azbuka Vkusa saleswoman said. “There’s nowhere to put it.”

International brewers report an increase in demand for the World Cup, which runs until July 15 in 11 Russian cities, and have guaranteed that fans will not run out after some shortages in the first week of the event.

“We are experiencing higher demand for beer in Russia, compared to a typical summer period in Russia, which we expected given the energy and excitement of the FIFA World Cup,” AnheuserBusch InBev, the world’s biggest brewer and an official FIFA sponsor for the World Cup, told Reuters.

“We have planned and prepared for this scenario to ensure we are delivering beer to our partners in full capacity.”

Russian food retailer chain O’Key said that demand for beer at its stores had increased by 10 per cent since June 14, when the tournament kicked off, over the same period last year.

Magnit, Russia’s second-biggest food retailer, said it had seen an increase in demand for beer in its shops located in World Cup host cities, attributing this to the influx of soccer fans as well as seasonal trends. — Reuters