Beer prices drop as Euro finals try to tempt customers to spend

VIENNA – Beer in the Vienna fan zone sold between nine in the morning and two o’clock in the afternoon has been reduced by a euro in an effort to boost flagging sales, the APA newsagency reported Tuesday.

The decision to reduce the price to 3 euro 50 cents was made after complaints were made by vendors about the lack of turnover. Many fans however point out that the original 4 euro 50 cents is far too much for a glass of beer, saying that bad sales are as much due to the high prices

While the Vienna fan zone was crammed with 84,300 fans Sunday for the games between Austria and Croatia and the Germany-Austria clash, there were just 17,500 present on Monday with the games taking place in neighbouring Switzerland, which is co-hosting the event.

There has been wavering support for games not involving the host countries and both Austria and Switzerland seem reluctant to catch the football fever which swept Germany during the 2006 world cup.

The failure of England to qualify for the tournament has had a massive impact. Usually England can be relied upon to bring thousands of fans to the championships, which translates into purchasing power.

[dpa / Expatica]