Scottish & Newcastle overcomes cold front

Brewer Scottish & Newcastle today reported positive summer sales for its UK business despite poor weather and weaker off-licence trade following Euro 2004.

The Edinburgh-based group said the beer market had returned to normal and sales of its top four brands, including Foster’s and Kronenbourg, were up 5% in the UK during 2004 so far.

This improvement was achieved even though S&N resisted the temptation to cut prices over the summer in a bid to stimulate more demand for its beer and cider brands.

Poor weather in Europe also affected trading with volumes in France markedly lower during July and August than a year ago, although growth was seen in Portugal and Belgium.

In a statement today, S&N said the performance of its key brands had paved the way for a “robust” performance during the first nine months of 2004 and that operational efficiency had continued to improve.

S&N added: “Greater competitiveness across our businesses combined with recovering demand gives us confidence we will meet market expectations for 2004.”