Slowly but surely

In March Carlsberg Breweries increased its shareholding in Carlsberg Okocim through the acquisition of 3.5 percent of the share capital from the German brewer Bitburger. The shares cost DKK 28 million. Only in December had Carls-berg bought 9.9 percent of the shares from Bitburger at a price of DKK 86 million. Both acquisitions take Carlsberg’s stake in Okocim up to 75 percent according to company statements. These sales plus the transaction between Germany’s Radeberger group and SABMiller (we reported) in which Radeberger’s 98.8 percent equity interest in Browar Dojlidy passed into SABMiller’s hands for EUR35 million, mark the exit of German brewers from the Polish market. In 2002 Okocim’s four breweries sold 3.5 million hl of beer. Operating profit reached 7..

Because it’s good for you

There is an Irish proverb which says "good as drink is, it ends in thirst". Apparently it no longer holds true. Beer consumption in Ireland is on the decline and has been for some years. The Irish, with a per capita consumption rate of 150 litres, still drink more beer than most people in Europe - only to be beaten by the Czechs. But they are also beginning to enjoy the taste of wine and pre-mix spirits (RTDs). Despite the fact that Irish wine drinkers pay a far higher tax on wine than many Europeans, the market for table wine has more than doubled in the past decade. According to the Wine Development Board of Ireland, nearly half of the Irish adults now drink wine regularly compared to only 28 percent in 1990. These days he is more likely to drink a glass of lager than a glass of stout..

Excise revenues down

The compulsory deposit on beer cans which was introduced in January this year, is going to hurt the German Länder (the individual states) badly. At the end of the year their tax coffers will show a gaping hole of EUR67 million. Apparently consumers do not like to switch from beer in cans to beer in returnable bottles - a system favoured by the government and the small and medium-sized brewers. Instead they refuse to drink beer full stop. In January and February sales of beer declined 8.2 percent. As the president of the German brewers’ association Dr Richard Weber was quoted a saying: "The compulsory deposit on beer cans is going to cost German brewers between 8 million and 10 million hl in sales this year alone." Last year domestic beer sales were 107..

Up for grabs ...

... but will anybody go for it? HypoVereinsbank, one of Germany’s leading banks, has officially put its 55 percent stake in the beer and beverage group Brau und Brunnen on the market. Rumour had it that the bank was already holding talks with Interbrew and Scottish & Newcastle. Interbrew immediately denied the story, stating that it was not interested at all in Brau und Brunnen as it did not fit into its portfolio ... and geography one might add. Brau and Brunnen’s core market is in the northern part of Germany where Interbrew is already very well represented thanks to the acquisitions of Diebels, Beck’s and Gilde. With sales of EUR687 million in 2001, Brau und Brunnen is Germany’s number 4 brewer. Its market capitalisation was EUR 285 million at the end of March 2003.

Parting ways

At the end of March, Axel Meermann, the Chairman of the Munich brewer Paulaner, was given the sack according to German media reports. It was rumoured that Heineken would not support Meermann’s international strategy for the eponymous wheat beer brand Paulaner, which led to Meermann chucking it all in. By all accounts, Meermann had hoped to double Paulaner’s world-wide sales following Heineken’s 2001 acquisition of a 49 percent stake in Bayerische BrauHolding which in turn owns Paulaner. Meermann is succeeded by Wolfgang Salewski, who is also chairman of Bayerische Brau-Holding. Paulaner sold 2.7 million hl beer and had a turnover of EUR 275 million.

Trouble down south

There seems to be a consensus that there is little opportunity for Carlsberg to be acquired or to participate in the consolidation of the global beer market. Which may be fine by Carlsberg. Because some of the figures released for 2002 were below expectations.
Carlsberg Group reported that in the financial year 2002 its net revenue rose by 3 percent to DKK 35.5 billion. Operating profit (EBITA) was 15 percent higher and amounted to DKK 3.8 billion. Profit before amortisation and write-down of goodwill totalled DKK 2.1 billion. It was announced that adjusted for one-off items, profit was DKK 2.1 billion - an increase of 8 percent. The brewer’s share of the profit was reported as DKK 1.01 billion. Adjusted for one-off items, the share of profit amounted to DKK 1.0 billion (+10%)..

The Battle of the Bud

The fight for the Budweiser name took three more twists in late winter, writes Lyle Frink from Prague, when the Czech Budweiser-Budvar won rounds in Switzerland and the United Kingdom while the American Anheuser Busch (A-B) won in Sweden.
The dispute reminds one of a line in an old American song "you say potato, and I say potato" where pronunciation differences threaten a relationship. Although both Budvar and A-B pronounce Budweiser the same way, there is almost nothing else they agree on. While the two are now fighting in about 40 lawsuits pending and another 40 administrative proceedings, the current dispute seems to be framed by the Czech Republic’s accession to the European Union in 2004 - and both sides solidifying their positions beforehand. Back in 2001, A-B said it sold 1....

Woe begone

In February 2003, Scottish & Newcastle announced that the implementation of the supply chain reorganisation in Scottish Courage, its UK beer division, had resulted in greater than expected disruption costs and delays in the realisation of cost savings.
At its interim results statement in December 2002, S&N said that its UK supply chain is being reorganised which has resulted in greater than expected disruption costs and delays in the realisation of cost savings. Since then, it admitted having suffered from significant drop in productivity and "double running" costs as the new regional distribution centres come up to speed. S&N Retail, with a quality estate in strong sectors, continues to perform well.63 in December to GBP 3.60 (11 February 2003)..

Breakthrough

At the beginning of February 2003 a Stockholm law court binned a 24-year-old legislation banning the advertising of alcohol products. The decision is viewed as a severe blow to the government which has always pursued very strict alcohol policies. What had initiated the legal battle in Sweden was an initiative by the European Court of Justice declaring Swedish alcohol legislation as unjust because it made the entry of foreign brewers into the Swedish market difficult. A year ago, a regional Stockholm law court had declared the legislation too far-reaching and ineffective. The Office of Consumer Rights expressed its regrets over the decision.

Early spring-cleaning

In an effort to fill its coffers - and get out of not so profitable foreign investments - Germany’s Radeberger Group has sold an 98.8 percent equity interest in Browar Dojlidy Sp. z o.o. (Dojlidy) and an outstanding shareholder loan to SABMiller’s Polish subsidiary, Kompania Piwowarska S.A. (KP) for a cash consideration of EUR 35.15 million (approx. US$37.89 million). The acquisition is conditional upon the satisfactory completion of a due diligence review by KP and the approval of the Polish Office for Protection of Competition and Consumers and the Ministry of Interior."
Dojlidy has one brewery, located in Bialystok in the north east of Poland, some 200 kilometres from Warsaw. The company currently has an annual capacity of some 900,000 hl and annual sales of 734,000 hl.5 billion..