(Feb 11): Heineken NV will cut about 7% of its global workforce, as the Dutch brewer contends with a drop in beer demand that is also affecting rivals as prices rise and consumers moderate their alcohol consumption.
The brewer, which also makes the Tecate and Amstel brands, said Wednesday it will cut 5,000 to 6,000 jobs — mostly in Europe — from a global workforce of 87,000. It also reported beer volumes fell in 2025, though the 2.4% drop was slightly less than analyst estimates.
The job cuts are the latest fallout from a post-pandemic pullback in beer consumption in key markets including the US and Europe. The slowdown has triggered a leadership change, with Heineken surprising investors last month by saying chief executive officer Dolf van den Brink would step down in May.
Finding his successor is a “top priority” for the board, Van den Brink told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday, adding that Heineken expects the alcohol category to rebound in the future. “We remain prudent in the short-term, and we remain confident in the mid- to long-term that the category will return to growth.”
Shares of Heineken rose as much as 4.4% in early trading in Amsterdam, the most intraday since June. They were up 7% this year through Tuesday’s close.
The company said the headcount reduction will come over two years as it tries to cut costs. It also forecast operating profit growth of between 2% and 6% this year, compared with 4.4% in 2025, which came in at the lower end of its guided range.
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Heineken’s forecast is “slightly more damp” than the market may have expected, but it sets the company up for delivery in a transition year, Jefferies analysts Edward Mundy and Sebastian Hickman said in a note.
Rival Carlsberg A/S last week widened its operating profit outlook for the year as it warned of subdued future demand in Western markets.
Uploaded by Magessan Varatharaja
