AB InBev sees volume sales rise
This meant revenue grew by 4% in the same period however, it also saw non-beer volumes drop by 2.5%.
Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) also saw a small drop of 0.8%.
In the UK arm of the business, Budweiser Brewing Group (BBG) reported growth in value and volume during the quarter.
Ongoing challenges
BBG UK&I president Paula Lindenberg said: “Throughout this quarter, despite ongoing challenges in the sector brought on by further Covid-19 restrictions and closures, BBG introduced new initiatives to continue supporting our customers and launched campaigns from our much-loved brands, all while continuing to prioritise the health and safety of our teams.”
She explained the growth was supported by brands in the off-trade alongside the gradual reopening of the on-trade. Of its brands, Stella Artois was the best performing in terms of like-for-like sales in pubs and bars.
On-trade help
Lindenberg added: “In early July, pubs and bars began to open after 106 days of closure. After our Save Pub Life initiative funnelled £1m into pubs across the country, we evolved the platform to offer a comprehensive package of support to help our pub and bar partners reopen safely. This included providing access to masks, hand sanitiser and outdoor and take-away options, as well as exclusive deals with partners like BT Sport and Opus Energy.”
She also outlined how the business reached two sustainability milestones during the quarter. One was 100% of barley used to brew its beers now comes from British farms, and it has removed all plastic rings from beers produced in the UK and replaced them with fully recyclable paperboard wraps, eliminating 250 tonnes of plastic a year.
