C&C stays resilient despite headwinds

L Tennent’s lager owner shrugs off onset of Scottish minimum pricing

participation in major retailers’ Christmas promotions, and incremental on-trade and wholesale distribution. That followed a 6 per cent fall in the first trading half.

C&C said Magners, which has made incursions into the Scottish cider market, will post flat volumes for the full year, in line with a UK cider market that was also flat.

C&C said the trading environment in Ireland remained “highly competitive”, both within “long” alcoholic drinks and other categories.

Bulmers brand volumes fell 6 per cent, “reflecting the loss of on-trade draught distribution points”.

In its super-premium sector, organic volume growth from brands such as Menabrea and Heverlee increased 41 per cent for the full year, adding to a 60 per cent jump in 2017.

“In addition, we saw strong first year contributions from our recently acquired craft brands 5Lamps in Ireland and Orchard Pig in the UK,” C&C added.

In the United States, Magners and Wyders stabilised through the course of the latest year, while Woodchuck and the group’s other national brands lost volume and share, “reflecting an overall cider category in high singledigit decline”, C&C added in its update.