New Market Study, "Lebanon Food & Drink Report 2013", Has Been Published

Fast Market Research recommends "Lebanon Food & Drink Report 2013" from Business Monitor International, now available

by Bill Thompson

(WireNews+Co) - Boston, MA - 24 January 2013

The outlook for Lebanese consumers is looking increasingly cloudy, with downside pressures building both on the domestic and external fronts. The economy's external position is being undermined by elevated commodity import bills (with Lebanon having to rely on imports of fuel), a collapse in tourism revenues, and a slowdown in foreign capital inflows. Moreover, with no end in sight to the ongoing civil war in Syria, we now believe Lebanon's economy will remain in a soft patch for a protracted period, and have revised down our 2013 real GDP growth. Elevated political risks will also have a negative impact on consumption patterns, with premiumisation still in play, but only within wealthier urban pockets.

View Full Report Details (http://www.fastmr.com/prod/523942_lebanon_food_drink_report_2013.aspx) (http://www.fastmr.com/prod/523942_lebanon_food_drink_report_2013.aspx)

Headline Industry Data (local currency)

? 2013 per capita food consumption = +2.74%; forecast compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to 2017 = +4.06%. ? 2012 soft drink sales = +5.30%; forecast CAGR to 2017 = +4.90%. ? 2013 mass grocery retail (MGR) sales = +5.10%; forecast (CAGR) to 2017 = +7.19%.

Key Company Trends

Foods Safety Remains an Issue: Since the start of 2012, authorities have organised a number of raids on food storage facilities in a bid to improve food safety and consumer trust in regards to domestic products. The campaign, a joint effort by the agencies including the Consumer Protection Bureau, Army units and the Internal Security Forces (ISF), mirrors similar operations undertaken in the previous year.

Spinneys Opens Eighth Outlet in Lebanon: In September 2012, regional retailer Spinneys inaugurated its eighth store in Lebanon. The new outlet, which is located in Byblos, employs 200 staff. The branch, spread over an area of 3,000 square metres, has a capacity for parking of 300 cars.

Key Risks to Outlook

Political Risks Elevated: The assassination of the head of the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan, on October 19 2012 plunged Lebanon into its most acute domestic political crisis in several years, with risks of a descent into civil war gradually building. At the moment, we are not making any revisions to our core growth forecasts, as these risks have been priced into our baseline scenario. These latest developments reinforce our bearish stance on Lebanese fixed income and equity markets, and also wider consumption patterns, not least because tourist arrivals are already dropping markedly.

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