According to reports, SABMiller is seeking to sell beer brands Peroni and Grolsch in order to meet the conditions of its proposed merger with Anheuser-Busch.
FoodBev reported in October that SABMiller had accepted in principle an Anheuser-Busch takeover bid worth $106bn. The deal will result in a combined business which will control close to one third of the global beer market.
The decision to offload Peroni and Grolsch would represent “a pre-emptive strike to appease competition regulators” in Europe, London newspaper The Sunday Times reported this week. The two beers are among the most famous of SABMiller’s flagship brands – but their premium credentials could cause them to lose out. The company also produces Foster’s, Pilsner Urquell and Polish beer Tyskie. The Times added that the sale was likely to attract the attention of Dutch brewing group Heineken, American beer maker Molson Coors and Ireland’s C&C Group.
Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch, already the world’s biggest brewer, fields the Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona and Beck’s brands. It took five attempts for the brewer to close the deal, by which time it had become clear that the merger’s scale would prompt sell-offs in Europe, the US and China. Reporting in October, FoodBev said that analysts were predicting that the Miller stable of beers in the US would also have to be sold in the event of a deal being concluded.
A combined company would generate annual revenues of $64bn.
Earlier in the year, Anheuser-Busch chief executive officer Carlos Brito said: “We have the highest respect for SABMiller, its employees and its leadership, and believe that a combination of our two great companies would build the first truly global beer company. Both companies have deep roots in some of the most historic beer cultures around the world and share a strong passion for brewing as well as a deep seated tradition of quality. By bringing together our rich heritage, brands and people we would provide more opportunities for consumers to taste and enjoy the world’s best beers. We also both strive to have a positive impact on the communities in which we work and live as two of the world’s leading corporate citizens. Put simply, we believe we can achieve more together than each of us could separately, bringing more beers to more people and enhancing value for all of our stakeholders.”
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