Europeans are drinking less beer. Heineken’s Europe boss has a plan to avoid a brewing hangover
As Heineken battles falling beer sales, its European president is hoping that cost cuts, a restructure, and a push into alcohol-free beer can help slow the decline.
Europe's beer consumption has been on the decline, with a 3.2% drop in 2025 and a 9.2% decrease since 2019, according to the Brewers of Europe. This slump is attributed to sober-curious Gen Z drinkers and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Heineken's Europe president, Glenn Caton, attributes part of the problem to price inflation, noting that consumers have been drinking less as a result.
Heineken raised draught beer prices in Britain twice in 2025, leading to an average pint costing £5.34 in April. Despite returning to growth in 2026, Europe remains a struggling region for Heineken, with beer sales and volumes falling. Caton is focusing on cost-cutting measures, including a plan to cut up to 6,000 jobs globally over the next two years.
Heineken is also making strides in non-alcoholic beer, launching Heineken 0.0 in 2017 and expanding its range of alcohol-free options to better cater to consumers looking to moderate their drinking.
Written by urgent.news from Fortune's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
