C&C Group will act as the exclusive distributor for Pabst Brewing Company beers in the UK and Ireland, after reaching a new sales and marketing arrangement with the California-based brewer.
The agreement, effective from this month, extends the relationship between C&C Group and Pabst, which produces beers such as Pabst Blue Ribbon.
The news comes as Dublin-based C&C Group reported its annual results, showing that group-wide operating profit was expected to be in the region €103m this year.
According to the company’s market-by-market review, “in Scotland, general trading picked up in the last quarter as the impact of tighter drink driving legislation in December 2014 fell out of the comparatives. Share performance of the Tennent’s brand in the key independent free trade channel improved in the second half of the year.
“The cider category in Ireland continues to lose share to other long alcohol drinks and the Bulmers brand has ceded ground to the distribution build of new arrivals. However, compelling rate of sale data for Bulmers should prove to be a key feature in performance stabilisation in FY17. Meanwhile, distribution of Corona in the Republic and Heverlee and Clonmel 1650 in Northern Ireland go from strength to strength.
“Export of own brands should deliver 20% volume growth in FY16. The group recently put in place new distributor partnerships for the Magners brand with San Miguel in Thailand and Coca Cola Amatil in New Zealand. In South Africa, early indications from the launch of Tennent’s in November are encouraging and plans are in place to increase distribution across a number of African countries. The Group is well positioned to sustain export momentum and deliver another year of solid growth in FY17.”
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