New Lion boss sees growth

Lion Breweries' new managing director, Roger North, sees the introduction of beer sales in supermarkets as a great opportunity.

Speaking from England yesterday ahead of taking up the position on September 1, Mr North said the experience in Britain was that supermarket beer sales very quickly took nearly 50 per cent of the take-home market.

In Britain, the take-home trade was only 30 per cent of the beer market. In New Zealand it was 60 per cent.

Mr North said the take-home market in New Zealand was being catered for by existing liquor outlets "which served the public quite well. That is a plus factor."

When British supermarkets started selling beer, more women bought, he said. "The wife is influenced by packaging and whether things look pretty. So there are a lot of issues and opportunities."

Mr North was head of Ushers of Trowbridge in Britain for the past eight years. He was managing director of Grand Metropolitan Brewing before that. He remained a director of Ushers.