Euro 2008 boosts Carlsberg's sales, but less than expected

Carlsberg beer brand, produced and bottled on the local market by United Romanian Breweries Bereprod (URBB) under licence, posted a 15% sales increase during the European Football Championship Euro 2008 (i.e. in June), compared with the same time last year. However, these results were below the company’s initial growth expectations. In March this year, it forecast a 40% sales increase for Carlsberg on the local market during Euro 2008, and a 25% increase by the end of this year. The company’s overall sales were, in turn, lower than expected in June, with URBB seeing a merely 15% growth, compared with the estimated 20%. “The beginning of June this year was slower than the same time last year, due to much more frequent rain, compared with the same time last year, which has led to beer sold in outdoor restaurants to stagnate,” argued Shachar Shaine, chairman of URBB. The Carlsberg group is one of the six UEFA partners, having sponsored the Euro 2008 tournament, the UEFA Cup for players under 21, The Women’s Football Championship and the UEFA Football Championship.