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just-drinks.com editor's weekly highlights | |
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US Drinks Conference 2008, Tuesday 14 October at Marriott Marble Arch, London.
Well, that was quick, wasn't it? Just as we were settling down to enjoy what we all were convinced would be a long summer of takeover to-ing and fro-ing, Anheuser-Busch this morning decided that the price was right, and climbed into bed with InBev. While I'm not one to gloat – honestly, mum – I did say that, despite all the nationalistic noises coming out of the US, InBev's move for A-B would come down to numbers, pure and simple. What makes InBev's victory – at US$70 per share – so anti-climactic is that some of A-B's comments in the past few weeks had suggested we could look forward to a battle royale that could have gone on for quite some time. Only last month, A-B's CEO, August Busch IV, was quoted as saying a takeover would not occur “on my watch”. The US brewer also suggested last week that, the presence of an InBev subsidiary in Cuba sits ill for a potential tie-up. We've also had US senators wade in, and even the possible president-in-waiting, Barrack Obama, saying last week that he felt the takeover of A-B by a non-US company would be “a shame”. Even so, the deal is done and dusted. What appears to be the major issue outstanding, however, is what will become of Grupo Modelo. The Mexican brewer, which is 50%-owned by A-B, appeared to object most strongly last month to being used as a pawn by A-B, and Modelo has now said it is “reserving its contractual rights”. While A-B's holding in Modelo is not a deal-maker or -breaker, this side-story could at least provide us with some entertainment this summer, now that the blockbuster has finished. Until next time... Olly Wehring, Managing Editor Web: www.just-drinks.com
Interested in knowing more about American, Irish, Canadian, Japanese and Indian whisk(e)y markets and brands? Then take a look at the latest report from just-drinks/The IWSR:
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The just-drinks interview - Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen [MEM] Late last year, Carlsberg announced a change at the top, with Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen replacing Nils Smedegaard Andersen as CEO. Ten months into his tenure, Rasmussen has rarely been out of the headlines, most notably due to Carlsberg’s long-running fight to buy Scottish & Newcastle. In this month's just-drinks interview, Olly Wehring quizzes Rasmussen about S&N, where he sees growth for the Denmark-based brewer and the current landscape in the global brewing industry.
Hard discounter strategies and major players in the UK In 2000, retail market researchers at Verdict called them ‘Continental discounters’, while they are known in the UK as the discount grocers. Whatever their nickname, the likes of Aldi, Lidl and Netto are all renowned for their low prices, which has generated plenty of support around the world. Hard discounters in the UK have had it tougher than in their country of origin – Germany – and many other parts of Europe where the format was quickly received and accepted into the mass grocery retail (MGR) sector. This month's briefing takes a look at the major players and reviews the latest sales data and expansion plans from Aldi, Lidl and Netto. The briefing highlights best-practice strategies that these players are taking in order to increase market share. Adopting strategies such as private-label NPD, building on economic concerns and becoming more fashionable will ensure the discounters are here to stay for now.
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July 14, 2008 
