- Sales in three months to end of March rise 2.8% to EUR6.70bn (US$7.86bn)
- Volumes increase by 1.2%, ‘Asia Pacific’ 10.1% jump offsets ‘Americas’ (-2.6%) and ‘Europe’ (-1.8%) declines
Heineken has posted a strong start to 2026, booking a near-3% rise in sales from the first three months of the year.
The 2.8% top-line increase, Heineken’s best quarterly growth rate since Q2 of 2025, came on the back of a slight rise in group volumes, of 1.2%. The performance has set the pace for Heineken’s brewing peers, with Carlsberg set to report its figures for the same period on 29 April, Molson Coors Beverage Co a day later and AB InBev on 5 May.
The company’s namesake brand’s portfolio delivered a 6.9% volumes increase, led by its 29.3% jump in the ‘Asia Pacific’ reporting region. In Vietnam, the lower-strength Heineken Silver extension had a stellar quarter (volumes were “up in the forties”), while China delivered a “high twenties” volumes climb for the Heineken brand stable as a whole. However, over in the US, Heineken 0.0 was up by only “a low single digit” volumes-wise, despite the release in several states of two flavoured extensions of the non-alc beer during the quarter.
The group will hope for a US uptick for Heineken 0.0 in the current quarter as Heineken 0.0 Ultimate beds in following its mid-March launch in the country.
Closer to home for the Amsterdam-headquartered brewer, Europe booked a 2.2% sales rise on dippng volumes (-1.8%). Of environmental note in the region was the achievement in the quarter by the Heineken Spain unit of net zero carbon emissions at Scope 1 and Scope 2 levels.
“The macro-economic environment is increasingly complex and uncertain, with potential impacts from higher energy prices and supply shortages in particular markets,” Heineken said in its results announcement. “This may disrupt global trade flow and trigger weaker consumer sentiment, which in turn may affect beer market growth.
“We are monitoring developments closely and [will] actively navigate the year with different evolving scenarios. Our outlook is based on the assumption of a temporary rather than a prolonged disruption in global energy trade.“
Today’s set of results is the last to be fronted by CEO Dolf van den Brink, who will leave Heineken at the end of May after 28 years with the company.
“I would like to thank all our customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders for their trust over the past six years [as CEO],” he said by way of sign-off. “I leave the company with the firm conviction of … Heineken’s ability to shape and capture the growth that will create sustainable value for decades to come.”
