Heineken Romania’s net turnover reached the value of RON 1.12 billion (EUR 254 million) in 2013, a 5 percent drop compared to 2012 on a market that further contracted by 10 percent.
“2013 was a difficult year where bad weather, low consumer confidence and the economic crisis all lead to a drop in the value of the Romanian market. Despite these difficult economical conditions, we’ve maintained our market-leader position. Our market share increase in value”, Onno Rombouts said, Managing Director Heineken Romania.
Heineken is the biggest beer producer in Europe and third in the world in terms of volume. The company has four beer factories in Romania (Craiova, Constanta, Miercurea Ciuc and Targu-Mures) and employs over 1.100 people.
Romanians drank 16.3 million hl of beer in 2013, more than 10 percent less than the previous year, according to the Brewers of Romania Association. The association’s five main members – Bergenbier, Heineken Romania, Romaqua Group, United Romanian Breweries and Ursus Breweries – account for over 90 percent of the beer sold in the country.
“Despite the efforts of local brewers to maintain the positive trend reported in 2012, the beer market reported a significant contraction in 2012. The consumers’ low income level and distrust in the state of the economy, fiscal pressure and unfavorable weather in the summer time represented the key factors that led to the market’s decline in 2013,” explained Onno Rombouts, who also fills the role of president of the Brewers of Romania association.