Coopers with record sales

The privately-owned Coopers Brewery from Adelaide defied falling Australian beer consumption, increased pressure on margins and higher malt prices to achieve record beer sales and revenues for its financial year 2014/15.

In the twelve months to 30 June 2015, sales rose 4.7 percent to 788,000 hl beer. This marks its 22nd consecutive year of growth. Revenue increased 1.7 percent to AUD 235.1 million (USD 166 million) and after tax profit rose 3.2 percent to AUD 28.9 million (USD 21 million).

Coopers enjoyed nearly 5 percent of the national beer market in 2014/15.

Managing Director Dr Tim Cooper said that, while packaged beer sales rose 6.3 percent, keg beer volumes fell 2.7 percent to 128,000 hl. “This decline mirrors the fall in Australian beer consumption since 2009, when the national volume was 18.7 million hl. Australia is now drinking less than 17 million hl, a level last seen in 1972. This troubling fall in consumption represents a loss of nearly 10 percent of Australia’s beer volume in six years, despite a growing population.”