Carlsberg sales dented by rise of ‘fake’ Spanish lager brand
Carlsberg CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen has said the Danish brewer’s UK sales have been hit by the rise of ‘fake’ Spanish lager brand Madrí.
The chief executive said Carlsberg’s beers are losing market share in Britain at the same time sales of rival beer manufacturer Molson Coors’ Madrí are rocketing, The Telegraph reported.
Madrí first rolled out into British pubs in 2020 and is now available in the majority of the UK’s leading supermarkets.
During this time, it has become one of the most popular beer brands in Britain with annual sales hitting £93.3m in 2023, according to NIQ.
Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning
Aarup-Andersen told The Telegraph: “We’re seeing a continued high competition in world beers. It’s a fierce battleground in the UK. We have some good propositions there, but we’re also seeing a number of our competitors pushing very hard in that segment.
“There’s no doubt that one of the brands that is doing well in the UK is Madrí. If you look at the market share, they’ve done well. I think they found a good proposition there. So kudos, kudos to them.”
However, it comes as the brand has seen criticism, as despite being brewed in Yorkshire, it claims to represent “the soul of Madrid”.
In June, the boss of Estrella Galicia, which has brewed beer in Spain for more than a century, said there was “a lack of transparency” over Madrí’s background.
However, Molson Coors has said Madrí was created in collaboration with another brand that it owns, Spanish craft brewer La Sagra.
2 Comments. Leave new
Carlsberg is insipid rubbish, undrinkable.
Sales have been hit by the shit taste of Carlsberg since they changed the recipe. It’s undrinkable.