Europe
Regional Review
Heineken Group's sales in Europe increased from 50.7
to 55.4 million hi 9.3%), with the breweries in Spain,
France, Italy and Poland recording the sharpest
60volume growth, while sales in the Netherlands and
Greece were under pressure.
552001 was a disappointing year for the European beer
market. Sales were adversely affected by a number of
non-structural factors, including the relatively wet sum-
50 1r- mer, the decrease in air travel and other repercussions
O
of the terrorist attacks in the United States.
At the same time, the process of consolidation within the
45European brewing industry gathered pace and shifting
■5 market positions translated into intensified competition
in many cases.
40The most profitable markets are in Western and
Southern Europe. With the acquisition of Bravo Inter-
CM
national in early 2002, Heineken is well placed to build
35I a strong position in the Russian beer market, which has
Oh
;5§ great growth potential. Heineken regards the progress
achieved in the negotiations on entry of former Eastern
30 |l I I I I bloc countries to the European Union as a positive
development: as purchasing power in these countries
improves, profitability could rise to the Western
25 European level in the medium term. Heineken has con
centrated its investments in the countries which are
leading the field in economic development and have
20 II good prospects of joining the European Union shortly.
The European Commission's new policy on vertical
agreements, such as those between brewers and the
15 on-trade sector, did not have a significant effect on our
European on-trade sales in 2001.
The introduction of the euro did not cause any particu-
10 ij s I lar problems.
q? n?
Group volume
Europe
in million hectolitres
