Weak Swedish currency raising alcohol prices

STOCKHOLM: A weak Swedish krona (SEK) leads to more expensive products for the consumers in the state alcohol retail monopoly - Systembolaget - from April 1st. It´s mainly the price of wine and spirits that will be affected.

Systembolaget adjusts the price twice a year; last adjustment was made in fall. Since then, USD has become 35 per cent and Euro 20 per cent more expensive against the SEK.

- Price increases affects a large number of products where the deals are negotiated in USD and Euro. The increases will be around five to ten per cent, says Lennart Agén, press officer at Systembolaget, to Drugnews.
The increase will not affect Swedish produced beer and other beverages where the deals are negotiated in SEK.

Importers, however, want to see higher adjustments and say that Systembolaget doesn’t take into account the recent sharp fall of the SEK. The price increases would therefore have to be about 15 per cent, according to Alcohol and Supplier Association (SVL).

Several alcohol importers now have to review their costs and there is also a risk of bankruptcy when they could be forced to sell at a loss, according to SVL.
Systembolaget has not yet noticed any downturn in sales, quite the opposite.

Av Drugnews/SL

Publicerad: 2009-03-02 00:09