Five of the six major breweries in Bulgaria declared a decline in retail sales for 2009 amounting to about 11 per cent on average compared to the previous year, the Union of Bulgarian Breweries said in a media statement, cited by Bulgarian media, on January 28 2010.

The average Bulgarian consumes about 67 litres of beer annually, while total beer production in the country for 2009 amounted to five million hectolitres.

"The primary reason why we incurred a decrease this season is attributed to the decline of sales in restaurants and hotels, as more people opt for drinking at home," Vladimir Ivanov, head of the UBB, was quoted as saying by Dnevnik daily.

The industry expects further decline in 2010 in the range of three to five per cent.

Currently, 3070 people are employed in the Bulgarian beer industry, but breweries are contemplating further job cuts in 2010, Dnevnik said.

Total investments in the sector in 2009 amount to about 66 million leva, and there are eight major beer breweries in the country overall. BBU members are Bolyarka, Zagorka, Kamenitsa, Carlsberg Bulgaria and Lomsko Pivo.

The only brewery in Bulgaria that is not a member of the BBU is Ledenika Beer.

Beer sold in plastic bottles was consumers' preferred choice, with more than 48 per cent of the total market share, while beer sold in classic half-litre bottles amounted to 42.5 per cent. Draught beer accounted for a meagre 5.5 per cent of the total market, while canned beer was bottom with four per cent.

About 72 per cent of Bulgarians preferred to drink at home, compared to 28 per cent who opted for pubs and/or restaurants, Dnevnik said.