Asahi is Japan’s biggest brewer with 38 percent market share.
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The two companies have been seeking offers for Dutch brand Grolsch and Italian brew Peroni, both of which are owned by SABMiller. But the company has sought growth outside Japan where beer sales have fallen over the past two decades, as the population shrinks and wine becomes increasingly popular. Asahi declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
The brands, which are now part of the SABMiller portfolio, have to be sold to allow the firm’s takeover by rival Anheuser-Busch InBev. The global rights to the Grolsch, Peroni and Meantime brands are also be included in the scope of the binding offer, with the exception of the rights in the United States for the Peroni and Grolsch brands.
The Belgium-based brewer said Asahi has offered to buy the Peroni, Grolsch, and Meantime brands and associated businesses in Italy, the Netherlands, U.K. and internationally on a debt-free and cash-free basis, .
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“Asahi is obviously trying to put a final price on the table rather than waiting for the deadline at the end of the month”, the person said. The purchase would be the largest involving a Japanese-listed beermaker since Kirin Holdings Co’s $2.5 billion acquisition of Australia’s Lion Nathan in 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
