Heineken sells more beer in Romania, local brand Bucegi becomes best performer

Brewer Heineken Romania sold 2 million hectoliters of Bucegi beer last year, making the Romanian beer brand the best performing in Heineken's local portfolio. Sales of Bucegi beer accounted for almost 1 percent of group's worldwide beer sales last year. The 2.5 liters Bucegi bottle covered a third of the beer volume sold during last summer. Ciuc Premium, another local beer, saw double digit growth in sold volumes in Romania last year, while international brand Heineken went up by one digit in sold volumes. Heineken Romania ended 2011 with a turnover of EUR 245 million, 11.5 percent higher than in 2010. The company sold 7.5 percent more beer last year than the year before. Romania was the third largest market for Heineken in Central Eastern Europe after Russia and Poland. Revenue wise, the country ranks below Poland, Russia, Austria and Greece, because of lower sales prices. The company added seven international beer brands to its portfolio in Romania last year. “Our local strategy for 2012 will be similar to previous years and it will reflect the global strategy,” said Andrew Quayle, chief financial officer of Heineken Romania. Heineken owns four beer factories in Romania. Last year it put up for sale the former Grivita beer factory in Bucharest, some 27,000 sqm. At group level, Heineken posted revenues of EUR 17 billion, and a net profit of EUR 1.5 billion last year, when it sold 213 million hectoliters of beer. Corina Saceanu, corina@romania-insider.com