Carlsberg hikes stake in Super Bock Group

Portugal | Danish brewer Carlsberg has acquired 28.5 percent of the shares in Viacer, the controlling shareholder of Portuguese brewer Super Bock Group, which holds 56 percent of the shares in the company. This was announced on 13 December 2018.

Carlsberg already directly owns 44 percent of the shares in the Super Bock Group. Following the transaction, Carlsberg’s direct and indirect ownership in the Super Bock Group rises to 60 percent.

According to Carlsberg, the Super Bock Group is the market leader in Portugal, with a market share of 47 percent. It previously ran under the name of Unicer but became the Super Bock Group in late 2017 to better reflect its main seller, the Super Bock beer brand.

Carlsberg’s CEO Cees ‘t Hart said: “We are pleased that we have increased our indirect shareholding in Super Bock Group. It is a very strong business with a market leading position in Portugal, offering appealing long-term opportunities.”

Carlsberg’s main rival in Portugal is Centralcer, which is controlled by Heineken. Since 2010, both Portuguese beer production and consumption have been in decline. Average beer consumption is 47 litres per year.