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Heineken will cut up to 6,000 jobs over the next two years, amounting to about 7 per cent of its global headcount, as the Dutch brewer struggles with declining demand for beer.
Beer volumes fell 1.2 per cent last year compared with 2024, but net revenue rose 1.6 per cent to €28.9bn, driven by growth in emerging markets including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Vietnam and India.
Sales were dragged down by declines in Europe and the Americas, where the volume of beer sold fell 3.4 and 2.8 per cent, respectively.
Heineken forecast better than expected profit growth of 4.4 per cent while also cutting its guidance for next year. It now forecasts profit growth of 2-to-6 per cent in 2026, down from the 4-to-8 per cent range it guided for last year.
“Our first priority is to accelerate growth, funded by stepped-up productivity and operating model changes,” said chief executive Dolf van den Brink. “This will unlock stronger people productivity and enable greater speed and efficiency.”
Heineken announced last month that Den Brink was stepping down after nearly six years in the role, with no replacement yet announced.
This is a developing story