Heineken to raise prices by 'courageous' amounts to offset inflation impact on profits

Heineken has warned of the impact of inflation.

Heineken has warned it is facing the worst inflation in a decade and said consumers may cut back on beer, threatening the industry’s recovery from the pandemic.

The brewer said it will raise prices for its beer by “courageous” amounts as it seeks to offset rising raw material and energy costs and “crazy” shipping rates.  This is likely to dent demand for beer in households already strained from the rising cost of heating, food and clothing.

“If you look at the inflation that we’re currently experiencing, it’s the highest in 10 years and it’s not just in our product categories - there might be a macroeconomic thing happening here,” the Dutch brewing giant's chief executive Dolf van den Brink said.

Heineken delayed updating its guidance for 2023 until later in the year amid the increased uncertainty about economic growth and inflation. It’s the latest consumer goods company to warn of the impact of rising prices. 

Earlier this month, Danish rival Carlsberg set a bearish tone for the industry, saying it’s possible that earnings might not grow this year.

It could take several years for the European bar and restaurant industries to fully recover from the impact of the pandemic given the number of outlets permanently closed by the crisis, Mr van den Brink said. Gains in Brazil and Nigeria have been helping offset some of the weakness in Europe.

Chief financial officer Harold van den Broek said the company aims to raise prices for its beer by “courageous” amounts across the world to offset soaring expenses related to aluminium, which has risen 50% from January 2021, barley, which has doubled in cost, and freight from China to the US, which has “been going absolutely crazy.”

Still, Heineken said premium beer has been performing strongly, with its namesake brand growing 17% in 2021 and higher-priced beers accounting for more than 60% of its sales growth. CEO van den Brink said the brewer isn’t seeing consumers trading down to cheaper brands.

Heineken said it’s continuing to target a 17% operating margin in 2023, though signalled that may become more difficult.

Meanwhile, Kraft-Heinz's fourth-quarter earnings topped estimates as price hikes helped the maker of Heinz Ketchup and Philadelphia cream cheese offset higher costs. This year, Kraft-Heinz expects consumption trends to remain above pre-pandemic levels. 

The company has forecast adjusted earnings in the range of $5.8bn to $6bn. 

But, while Kraft-Heinz has been raising prices, Wall Street is sceptical that the company can keep pace with rapidly increasing costs.

-Bloomberg