MILWAUKEE — Even the brewing industry is starting to go flat in the worldwide economic slump.
SABMiller, the London-based brewer of Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft and Peroni Nastro Azzurro lagers, said Thursday that its beer shipments fell unexpectedly in the third quarter as consumers pulled back on their demand.
Carlsberg, the Copenhagen, Denmark-based maker of Carlsberg beer, said it was cutting 274 jobs to save on costs due to a future “where we face more uncertainties and risks.”
Beer is “recession-resistant, not recession-proof,” said Benj Steinman, editor of Beer Marketer’s Insights.
SABMiller said lager volumes fell 1 percent in the three-month period that ended Dec. 31, compared with the same period a year earlier.
In the U.S., SABMiller and rival Molson Coors Brewing Co. saved costs last summer with a domestic joint venture called MillerCoors. But MillerCoors sales are falling too. Domestic sales to retailers fell 2.3 percent over the third quarter, with flagship Miller Lite’s sales falling 7.5 percent. Coors Light continued its momentum, posting a 1 percent sales increase, according to the company. But that was slower than in previous quarters, Steinman noted.
