Haacht Brewery considers sale after a poor year

Under pressure from falling sales and a doubling of its loss, the Haacht Brewery is considering its strategic options, including a possible sale. The Belgian brewery group is struggling to respond to changing consumer habits.

Turnaround plan

Haacht Brewery needs to make some radical decisions, as 2024 has been a “poor year” – as CEO Boudewijn Van der Kelen admitted. Sales fell by 5.7 % and the net loss doubled to 8.2 million euros. A recent capital increase of 17.4 million euros should give the Primus and Tongerlo producer some breathing space, but strategic choices are pressing.

At the general meeting of shareholders, the company admitted that it was considering a sale, as the owner family showed no interest in fully taking over the brewery, Belgian newspaper De Tijd reports. At the same time, the company is preparing for the future with a turnaround plan: a new SAP system has been introduced, a retail manager has been added to the team, and sales of alcohol-free beers have risen from 0.7 to 2.5 % of volume.

Marketingwise, Haacht Brewery will focus on Primus this summer, with campaigns for Super 8 and Tongerlo in the pipeline as well. The brewer was late to recognise new consumer trends, such as the shift in consumption towards the home and the growing demand for non-alcoholic drinks, leaving a lot of catching up to do.