Latest news with #Heineken
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Russia ousts Germany from global top-five beer brewers
Russia has overtaken Germany in beer production for the first time, pushing the EU country out of the top five global brewers, according to an industry report released on Tuesday. Russia's beer output rose by around 9% in 2024, reaching nearly 9.1 billion liters, while production in Germany declined by 1% to 8.4 billion liters. As a result, Germany fell to sixth place, the report by leading global hop trader BarthHaas said. BarthHaas CEO Thomas Raiser told DPA that Russia's advance is mainly due to a sharp drop in beer imports, which has boosted domestic production. The shift follows the escalation of the Ukraine conflict more than three years ago and the trade and economic sanctions that ensued. Since early 2022, major Western brewers such as Carlsberg, Heineken, and AB InBev have exited the Russian market. While the EU did not formally ban beer exports to the country, sanctions and corporate withdrawals disrupted supply chains and logistics. In response, Moscow introduced steep import tariffs on alcoholic beverages from 'unfriendly' countries, making foreign beer significantly less competitive. Two Russian breweries have also entered BarthHaas' Top 40 Brewers list. Baltika Breweries, ranked 12th, was part of the Carlsberg Group until mid-2023. United Breweries (OPH), formerly owned by Heineken, joins in 24th place, the report noted. Given the surge in production, Russia has also expanded its beer exports. In the first quarter of 2025, exports rose 25% year-on-year, with key markets including Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Abkhazia, and Tajikistan. Shipments also resumed to several African and South American countries. Germany, once a brewing powerhouse, continues to see falling consumption, driven by an aging population, increased competition from other beverages, and reduced purchasing power, according to DPA. Rising production costs have similarly taken a toll, with 52 breweries closing in 2024 alone, official statistics show. The BarthHaas report also pointed to two consecutive years of economic contraction in Germany, along with a decline in hops production. According to the document, the world's four largest beer producers in 2024 were China, the US, Brazil, and Mexico.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Can crunch hits United Breweries' growth as demand for canned beer surges
India's largest beer manufacturer, United Breweries Ltd is facing an unprecedented challenge -- shortage of cans leading to frequent stock outs when consumers now prefer to drink canned beer. The company has lost at least 1-2 points of growth due to this over the last six months, said managing director Vivek Gupta . "The shortage of cans is a challenge. Cans as a segment is growing at a certain pace, and there is no quick fix for the supply of cans. So that is a little bit of something for us, in the next quarter. This is definitely (an issue) for us, and for the industry as well. Those are some of the factors that make me nervous,' Gupta told analysts during the company's first quarter earnings call on Wednesday. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category PGDM healthcare Public Policy MBA MCA Cybersecurity Data Science Healthcare Management Design Thinking Product Management Degree Leadership others Finance Operations Management Data Analytics Digital Marketing CXO Technology Project Management Others Data Science Artificial Intelligence Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis & Decision Making Quantitative & Analytical Skills Organizational Management & Leadership Innovation & Entrepreneurship Duration: 24 Months IMI Delhi Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Online) Starts on Sep 1, 2024 Get Details Despite this, the manufacturer of Kingfisher and Heineken brands grew volumes by 11% in the April-June quarter and gained market share in both overall and premium segment. The premium portfolio, in particular, grew at 46%. Gupta said there is a fixed supply of cans in the market, whether it's for the beer industry, or some of the other industries. Even within beer industry, there is a fixed quota while the demand is more than that, he said. "So we definitely have stock outs, because we are not being able to supply cans. Or that we cant get cans,' he said. The MD said importing cans will also take time. "The government of India, along with multiple associations are working on that, but that also will take time, the backward integration in the beer industry needs a lot of work. Whether it's bottles or cans. We are actually actively working with international suppliers for long term on that. We would have atleast lost, I would say, 1-2 points growth because of lack of cans over a 6-month period," said Gupta. Last year the company imported new bottles as supplies remained tight. "The recycled bottle supply chain was very much disturbed by high cullet demand," the company said in its latest annual report. United Breweries has posted its standalone profit after tax for the first quarter ending June 30th at Rs 184 crore which grew by 6% on a year-on-year basis, and the net sales for the period grew by 16% to reach Rs 2,862 crore. The company invested Rs 136 crore in the first quarter as compared to Rs 89 crore during the same period last year. The investments were primarily focused on commercial and supply chain initiatives. On Wednesday, United Breweries' shares closed at Rs2,020 a piece on the BSE, down by 0.78%.
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
India's United Breweries posts higher Q1 profit on premium growth, lower costs
July 22 (Reuters) - United Breweries ( opens new tab, India's largest beer maker, reported a nearly 6% rise in quarterly profit on Tuesday, benefiting from lower excise duty costs and strong demand for its premium beers. The Kingfisher beer maker's consolidated profit came in at 1.84 billion rupees ($21.30 million) for the quarter ended June 30, up from 1.74 billion rupees a year earlier. United Breweries, majority-owned by Dutch brewer Heineken ( opens new tab, posted a nearly 16% rise in net sales, led by a 11% growth in volumes, higher pricing and premiumisation. Total expenses fell 7.8%, driven by lower excise duty costs. Beer makers in India are riding a wave of resilient premium consumption, as upper middle-class and affluent consumers, largely insulated from the rising living costs in metros, continue to spend freely on higher-end goods, including pricier brews. The shift toward premiums has helped offset broader inflationary pressures and subdued demand at the mass-market level, fuelling earnings growth for players in the alcohol and lifestyle segments. Spirits-maker Radico Khaitan ( opens new tab, retail chain Shoppers Stop ( opens new tab and beauty retailer Nykaa ( opens new tab have capitalised on this trend in recent quarters, reporting strong gains driven by their premium portfolios. Premium segment grew 46% in the reported quarter, higher than the overall volume growth of 11%. PEER PERFORMANCE * The mean of analysts' ratings standardised to a scale of Strong Buy, Buy, Hold, Sell, and Strong Sell ** The ratio of the stock's last close to analysts' mean price target; a ratio above 1 means the stock is trading above the PT APRIL TO JUNE STOCK PERFORMANCE -- All data from LSEG -- $1 = 86.3650 Indian rupees
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Heineken Bets Big On Innovation With New Multimillion-Dollar R&D Hub
MONTMELO, SPAIN - MAY 14: Bottles of 'Heineken 0.0' are seen at the Heineken 0.0 grandstand, ... More celebrating the launch of the zero alcohol beer 'Heineken 0.0' during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 14, 2017 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo byfor Heineken) When Heineken officially opened a new global research and development center in South Holland last month, the occasion was so momentous for the brewer that King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands was in attendance. The Dutch brewer spent $45 million euro ($52.3 million USD) on the R&D center located in the town of Zoeterwoude, roughly a 40 minute drive from the nation's capital of Amsterdam. It has a staff of close to 100 employees that are dedicated to brewing innovation, sensory research, packaging development and supporting the development of global brands including Heineken, Amstel and Desperados. The R&D center also sits adjacent to a Heineken brewery that the company says is the largest in Europe. 'This Center enables us to innovate faster and smarter, help us to create distinctive beers and drinks, improve our brewing processes and reduce our impact on the planet,' said Dolf van den Brink, Heineken CEO and chairman, in a statement at the time of the unveiling ceremony. Why Brewers Need To Innovate In A Complex Market Hubert Ter Braake, director of research and development at Heineken, tells me during a recent interview that the opening of the new R&D center will propel future beverage experimentation, while also sending a message to both internal and external stakeholders that the company is very seriously committed to innovation. 'It is important that people see that you put your money where your mouth is,' says Ter Braake. Heineken officially opened a new global research and development center next to the company's ... More brewery that is the largest in Europe. Placing a bigger bet on innovation comes at a challenging time for the broader alcoholic beverage industry. Adults are drinking less booze and instead favoring healthier products, a trend that's proliferated in the U.S. and other international markets including across Europe. That's led to uncertainty for the industry's largest players, as seen most recently by the abrupt departure of Diageo CEO Debra Crew, who is stepping down after two years in that role, as the world's largest spirits company can't quite get a handle on where consumers are evolving. The non-alcohol market has been particularly alluring, a portion of the business that's expected to be worth $5 billion in the U.S. by 2028, according to industry researcher IWSR. Non-alcoholic beer is forecasted to be the primary driver of that growth, due to that market being more mature than non-alcoholic spirits or wine and greater investments in new beer brands in that space. Brewer Already Scored A Hit With Non-Alcoholic Heineken 0.0 Non-alcoholic beer is a space where Heineken has already scored a big hit that predates the R&D center opening. The company's Heineken 0.0 launched in 2017 and is now the highest-selling non-alcoholic beer in the world. The brewer says it has been able to achieve a commanding lead in the market by committing 10% of all media spending on responsible consumption campaigns, which included a recent advertising spot and feature tied to the F1 film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris. Hubert Ter Braake is the director of research and development at Heineken. Ter Braake says that before Heineken 0.0, the non-alcoholic beers on shelves weren't of high quality and didn't taste that great. And because of those reasons, buying non-alcoholic beers wasn't considered socially acceptable. After R&D is able to craft a better tasting product, the marketers can do their job selling the brand. 'Our job is to really go one level deeper and see what are those little bit hidden needs consumers have,' says Ter Braake. From AI To Ultimate: Heineken Charts A New Course Newer innovations from Ter Braake's team includes Heineken 0.0 Ultimate, a non-alcoholic brew that also has zero calories or sugar and is currently sold in Massachusetts and New Jersey. In yet another limited pilot program in Italy, the brewer is testing out Heineken Fusion, a variation of a beer that's meant to be served as an aperitivo before starting a meal. 'We have a whole pipeline and the markets must work together to see what part of the pipeline may be more focused on that particular market,' says Ter Braake. 'It's not for nothing that we piloted Fusion in Italy or Ultimate in the U.S.; because it fits the consumers there.' With a staff of around 100 employees, Heineken's R&D center houses sensory research, labs and ... More packaging development. Heineken has also invested in artificial intelligence for brewing, with a focus on two key applications of that technology in use today. The first is social listening, which involves the use of AI algorithms to track and crunch data on which flavors are becoming more popular among consumers. Another AI tool at use at Heineken helps shorten new product development. Ter Braake adds that Heineken's innovation efforts tend to go in two distinct directions. The first is more about technology, including rethinking the use of raw materials or other methods taken during the production process which can be done more efficiently. But the second consideration set is more expansive and involves brand innovations—local projects like Fusion or Ultimate or global efforts like Heineken 0.0. In the latter case, leadership must sign on before R&D moves forward. 'We always discuss and get approval by our board, so they agree with the longer-term vision we have on what directionally the future should be for beer or for other products,' says Ter Braake.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Enjoy £1.91 pints at home with £100 off 'pub-quality' draught beer taps
Brits can bring the pub home in time for the new Premier League season as Beerwulf offers almost 20% off its draught bundles, which work out at only £1.91 per pint with select kegs Brits can enjoy fresh, pub-quality beer at home as Beerwulf slashes the price of its home pour systems. The Heineken-backed brand is knocking £100 off its Blade Starter Packs in a summer sale that runs until July 31. The Blade is a countertop beer draught system that allows users to pour a chilled, 'pub quality' beer from the comfort of home. The device can be used anywhere with a countertop and power source, which enables the beer to stay chilled at the optimum 2C. Beerwulf says the beer can stay fresh for 30 days, with a choice of 8L kegs available filled with brands including Heineken, Birra Moretti and Cruzcampo. Shoppers can also pick up extra keg bundles with the likes of Amstel, Tiger and Red Stripe, plus German wheat beers such as Edelweiss. Each keg contains roughly 14 pints, meaning select kegs such as Heineken Silver 8L can provide pints worth only £2.46 – or £1.91 for the alcohol-free Heineken 0.0 8L. Prices for the Blade starter pack vary depending on the choice of beer, with the cheapest being the Blade Heineken Starter Pack at £406.90, down from £506.90. Other options include the Blade Birra Moretti Starter Pack at £408.90 and Blade Cruzcampo Starter Pack at £409.90. The discount equates to almost 20%, but shoppers can also keep costs down by opting for a refurbished model from £312.90. The deals are ideal for elevating a summer BBQ and come just in time for the start of the new football season, with the Premier League kicking off on August 15. Beerwulf isn't the only brand cutting its prices this summer, with rival brand PerfectDraft reducing its own draught systems, including the PerfectDraft San Miguel Especial Starter Bundle (£199) and PerfectDraft Pro Stella Artois Starter Bundle (£329). Pub-style beers have grown more popular in recent years with the launch of products like the Guinness Nitrosurge, a portable pouring gadget that attaches to specially designed cans to deliver smooth Guinness anywhere. But the Beerwulf Blade has been winning over beer fans, with the brand racking up a 4.2-star rating on Trustpilot. One Blade user said: 'Quite simply amazing. The Blade is not only fantastic to look at, the build quality is super, and the quality of the beer poured is the same, if not better than an actual beer from a pub or bar.' Another said: 'A superb beer machine and much better than PerfectDraft in my opinion. Beerwulf is superior as the gas applied is significantly better. "There were many kegs from PerfectDraft that had problems with CO2 so we decided to buy Beerwulf. I was very pleased.' Some Beerwulf Blade users would prefer a larger variety of beers, as this review said: 'Not enough offers on Blade Kegs compared to PerfectDraft. Would like to see more offers and different lagers. Maybe Stella Unfiltered.' 'Great service, great product. Blade superb, easy set up, easy change of kegs, easy to use. By the third pint I had it perfect. Overall great product, would highly recommend."
