AB InBev’s half year revenue grew 5.4 per cent in the first six months of the year to $19 billion but volumes declined in western Europe by 6.2 per cent, it was announced yesterday (31 Jul). Competitive off-trade activity was listed as a reason for the fall-off but chief financial officer Felipe Dutra told reporters that bad weather in Europe was "more relevant than the economic impact."
Beer volumes shrunk by 7 per cent in the first half of the year in Belgium and by 2.4 per cent in Germany, while in the UK, own beer volumes dropped 10 per cent and consolidated cost of sales increased 3.4 per cent overall.
The Belgium-based brewer's focus brands grew 2.2 per cent in volume in the first half of the year, led worldwide by Budweiser, Harbin and Sedrin in China and Brazilian brands Brahma and Antartica.
The company's Stella Artois brand is the biggest single selling brand by value in the UK, according to the Grocer magazine, with sales of £466.8 million. Stella Artois Cidre, the newest addition to the range, showed a 1211 per cent increase in sales and a 46.4 million absolute change in the UK the Grocer reported and was the biggest performer by far in the magazine's top 100 brands rankings.
AB InBev increased its presence in the American market earlier this year, acquiring Grupo Modelo for $20 billion. It is reported that the new company already accounts for 75 per cent of AB InBev’s profit and 85 per cent of its earnings. (1 Aug)
© 2012 ESM European Supermarket Magazine
