The country's largest brewery, the Asahi group, is said to be just a short time from exhausting its inventory of most popular beer, Asahi Super Dry, while it battles to recover from a recent ransomware attack that triggered a significant system failure.
Production Halt at Multiple Factories
The ransomware attack, first reported on Monday, compelled the firm to suspend manufacturing at the majority of its 30 breweries across the country, including those producing its flagship widely consumed lager, Asahi Super Dry.
The firm, which additionally manufactures Nikka whisky and a range of alcohol-based and soft drinks, has not said when it might be able to restart production, causing concern among distributors and store owners.
The shutdown of Asahi’s domestic breweries could result in it might run out of its stock of Super Dry in a couple of days, as per a report on Thursday.
Retail Impact and Customer Worries
As the crisis entered its fifth day, grocery stores and other sellers were bracing for empty shelves, while traditional Japanese bars serving draft and bottled Super Dry could be forced to switch suppliers or witness their customers go without their regular beer.
Super Dry is a mainstay of Japan’s drinking culture, with 73 million cases sold last year, during a decline in local beer consumption and fierce competition between major beer companies to launch new products aimed at younger drinkers.
Wider Effects of the Incident
The attackers disabled Asahi’s ordering and shipping network, forcing the company to postpone indefinitely the launch in the coming weeks of a twelve new products, including soft drinks and protein bars, media reports said.
The organization, which has notified the event to local authorities, said no customer data had been breached in the attack. Its international activities have not been affected.
- Interruption means Asahi is unable to process or ship orders of beverages and snacks.
- Customer service desks have been suspended.
- Electronic messaging from external sources is no longer possible, requiring employees to accept requests over the phone and handle them by hand.
