Western Europe r* Regional Review continued "Through product innovation, continued brand investment and forging strong partnerships with modern-trade retailers we have further reinforced our leadership positions across the region." €964 million 8.0 million hectolitres €7,785 million €740 million 25.8 per cent 44.3 million hectolitres Didier Debrosse President Western Europe EBIT (beia) Heineken volume in premium segment Revenue (3 EBIT Consolidated beer volume as of Group Heineken N.V. Annual Report 2012 1 MM' llrit Consolidated beer volume roup beer volume declined I organically by 2 per cent. I Beer markets in the region were adversely impacted by challenging economic conditions, rising VAT and beer excise rates in several markets and declining consumer spending in on-premise channels. Despite these challenges, regional volume performance was resilient, contributing to share gains in the UK, France, Ireland and Belgium and stable market share in the Netherlands. In December 2012, the French government approved a 160 per cent increase in the beer excise tax rate, effective from 1 lanuary 2013. The effect of stock building in France in the fourth quarter of 2012 (ahead of the planned excise duty increase), is estimated to have increased regional group beer volume by 0.5 per cent in 2012. There was a corresponding 0.5 per cent negative impact to 2012 regional beer volumes following the planned withdrawal of a product in the high-promotion discounter channel in Finland. Key brands

Jaarverslagen en Personeelsbladen Heineken

Jaarverslagen | 2012 | | pagina 28