I hadn't heard this before but a sudden drop in bar attendance was discussed in today's Chronicle Herald:
It could be fear of catching H1N1 or perhaps it’s a sign of the recession, but whatever the reason, pub-goers aren’t drinking beer in the quantities they used to. In general, beer sales by volume dropped by a dramatic 13.4 per cent in October. And in Nova Scotia, fewer people are drinking beer brewed at the Oland Brewery in particular, which means layoffs at the Halifax plant.
The article does canvass some of the other issues going on with the regionally branded macro-lager plant - including the interesting observation that Nova Scotians try new beer more readily on tap in a pub. But one wonders of they tried to make a better class of beer whether they might grab some dwindling market share back. Note the production range: Keith’s India Pale Ale, Keith’s White, Keith’s Red, Keith’s Lite, Budweiser, Bud Lite, Oland, Schooner, Wildcat, Labatt Blue and Labatt Lite. Not a lot of variety there. Is this not 2007 auto industry thinking?