Tesco supermarkets throw Heineken brands off shelves

Britain’s biggest supermarket chain Tesco has pulled more than half of Heineken’s beer and cider range from its shelves after the brewer tried to increase prices following the UK’s vote to leave the EU, media reported on 22 March 2017.

The retailer is now stocking only 22 of the 53 products and pack sizes that it was selling at the start of the year and names such as Amstel, Sol, Tiger, Foster’s Gold and Radler have completely disappeared.

Although a Tesco spokesperson reportedly said the cuts were about ensuring its range “meets the needs of customers”, the decision is also believed to be connected to price negotiations.

In February 2017, the UK’s major brewer Heineken announced price increases of GBP 0.06 (USD 0.07) a pint across its brands in UK pubs, blaming a 15 per cent drop in the value of the pound since the Brexit vote.

Perhaps Tesco used Heineken’s price increase as a pretext for a large-scale revamp of its beer shelves, which will see the stock of craft beers increase to around 30 from only two different kinds. This move would imply that Tesco needed more space rather than cheaper beers, as craft beers in the UK tend to be pricey.

A Heineken spokesperson told media they could not comment on commercial arrangements with supermarkets.