Diageo’s Irish brands raise some cheer but Guinness flat globally

Net sales of Guinness declined 3% in Ireland over the past year, due to hot weather, significant rises in excise duties and the continuing shrinkage of the overall beer market here.

On a global basis, net sales of the Dublin-brewed stout fell by 1%, but a strong performance was seen in eastern Africa, where price rises drove net sales growth of 19%.

While growth was also evident in Indonesia, Guinness sales declined in Nigeria, its biggest single market, due to challenging market conditions — although a pick-up was noted in the second-half of the year.