Japan is facing a shortage of Asahi products, including beer and bottled tea, as the drinks giant grapples with the impact of a major cyber-attack that has impacted its operations in the country.
Most of the Asahi Group's factories in Japan have been at a standstill since Monday, after the attack hit its ordering and delivering systems, the firm reported.
Major Japanese retailers, including 7-Eleven and FamilyMart, have warned customers to expect shortages of Asahi products.
Asahi has temporarily suspended orders and shipments of its products, noting that there is no prospect of resumption, according to FamilyMart.
The convenience chain expressed apologies to customers, confirming that it is collaborating with Asahi to resume sales of affected products, including the Famimaru range of bottled teas.
7-Eleven has also halted shipments of Asahi products, including its widely popular Super Dry beer, and informed shops to expect limitations.
Similarly, Lawson, another major retailer, indicated it anticipates shortages of Asahi products and plans to stock alternative items to minimize disruption.
Another supermarket chain, Life Cooperation, has also alerted customers to potential out-of-stock issues for Asahi products.
Asahi is Japan's leading brewer and offers various well-known global brands, including Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, and Grolsch, with domestic sales representing about half of its total revenue.
The company confirmed that the cyber incident was limited to its Japanese operations, stating that its European business remains unaffected, and insisted that there is no confirmed breach of personal customer data.
We are actively investigating the cause and working to restore operations; however, there is currently no estimated timeline for recovery, Asahi stated in an earlier communication.
Additional reporting by Chika Nakayama in Tokyo
