The company has also seen revenues of its three global brands (Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona) grow by 8.9% in 2017.
The amount of beer produced by AB InBev (ABI) grew by 2.1% in the last quarter, and 1% as a whole this year. This growth was achieved by increased production in South Africa, Mexico and Australia, while declines were recorded in the US, Brazil and Colombia.
The company, which makes more than a quarter of all beer sold worldwide, said that the outlook for the rest of the year was “promising”.
Double-digit growth
In the UK, ABI claimed that it has achieved double-digit growth, driven by the performance of its premium portfolio and global brands.
ABI’s north Europe president Jason Warner said of the company’s 2017 performance in the UK: “Since Bud Light landed in March this year, over half a million UK households have purchased it and one in five of these have already made a repeat purchase, which we are really excited about,” he said.
“Elsewhere, Stella Artois has once again been named Britain’s biggest alcohol brand in the off-trade and has seen strong growth following its iconic Wimbledon partnership. Budweiser is having a fantastic year, growing 15% year on year across total trade and 10% on draught, driven in large part by the brand’s football activations, with campaigns to surprise and delight fans through its sponsorship of the FA Cup."
Long-term, sustainable success
Warner added: “Finally, Corona is seeing huge growth in both volume and value, and is the best-selling bottle-only brand in the on-trade. This weekend sees the return of the Corona SunSets music festival to Greenwich, London – just one of the bold activations for the brand this year.
“We have made great headway so far during 2017 in the UK and hope to continue this top-line growth for the rest of the year. We want to grow the beer category to ensure long-term, sustainable success for our industry, business, employees, customers and shareholders, while continuing to innovate and create the beers that people love.”
Last year, ABI reported a 6.5% growth in its three global brands.