UK’s biggest supermarket chain Tesco decided to axe more than half of all Heineken products due to Brexit related price increases. 31 Heineken products out of a total of 53, including such popular brands like Amstel, Sol, Tiger Beer, Birra Moretti, Kingfisher, Fosters Gold, Fosters Radler, Rocks and Blind Pig Cider have been taken off the shelves entirely. Other brands are now only available in fewer packaging sizes, like flagship brand Heineken Lager and other popular brands including Newcastle Brown Ale, Fosters Lager and Kronenbourg 1664.
David Forde, managing director at Heineken UK, and his team announced a price hike by an average of 6p a pint across its brands, due to increased costs. Although officially Heineken did not mention the planned exit of the UK from the European union (Brexit) as the cause, other companies already blamed the Brexit for similar moves. The weaker Bristish pound after Britains vote to leave the European Union made imported goods, which are priced in euros and dollars, more expensive.
Transnational consumer goods company Unilever already suffered a similar fate with Tesco last year, when it announced a 10% price hike. Tesco refused to accept the higher prices and the supermarket chain pulled popular brands like yeast spread Marmite, Flora margarine and Pot Noodles off the shelves.
Heineken did not want to comment on the cause of the delisting: “We don’t comment on commercial arrangements with our customers. Shoppers will continue to find a broad range of our fantastic beer and cider brands in Tesco,” the company said.
