MillerCoors sales and volume decline in 2011

Not a good year but it probably could have been worse. MillerCoors said on 16 February 2012 that net sales dipped 0.3 percent to USD 7.55 billion for the 12 months to the end of December 2011. Net profits fell 5.5 percent to USD 1.01 billion over 2010, even though the number two brewer in the U.S. delivered the final tranche of USD 765 million in synergies related to its formation as a joint-venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors.

Fortunately, MillerCoors’ craft and import beer business, Tenth and Blake, reported double-digit rises in volume sales in 2011. The former Coors’ brand Blue Moon Belgian White is now the nation’s largest craft brand. Peroni Nastro Azzurro continues to deliver mid-single digit growth, primarily through the on-premise channel, MillerCoors said.

But this did not prove enough to compensate losses on core brands. In the fourth quarter Coors Light declined low-single digits while Miller Lite declined mid-single digits and MGD 64 declined double-digits. Overall group beer sales to wholesalers dropped 3 percent in volume in 2011.

So far in 2012, the brewer said that Coors Light has returned to year-on-year volume growth, but group beer sales are still down.