The upcoming summer is expected to be a successful one for global brewers, with robust beer sales predicted due to the Olympics and slowing inflation. Major brewers such as Heineken and Carlsberg have reported growth in the first quarter, marking the first quarterly growth in over a year for companies like Heineken. This positive momentum is also reflected in Anheuser-Busch InBev’s performance, which has exceeded expectations in the United States.
Carlsberg’s chief executive, Jacob Aarup-Andersen, expressed optimism about beer volume growth in mature markets like western Europe. He noted that events like the Olympics could help drive sales, especially considering less extreme weather conditions compared to previous years. Slowing inflation is also anticipated to aid beer volume growth as companies gradually reduce their price hikes. Rising costs of ingredients like barley and aluminum led to rapid price increases in recent years. Now, companies are shifting their focus towards volume growth as a revenue driver rather than relying solely on price increases.
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s CFO, Fernando Tennenbaum, mentioned that they were already seeing volume growth in most of their global markets. The company is looking forward to further boosting beer sales with upcoming events such as the Paris Olympics and 2024 European Championship football tournament. Overall, global brewers are looking forward to a promising summer with positive growth prospects in the beer market.
