Heineken conquers China. The Dutch beer giant enters the capital of CRH Beer, the listed company that controls China Resources Beer, the main producer of what is now considered the first world market for beer. Heineken has been present in the Asian giant since the 80s, but now the gear change with the acquisition of 40% of CRH Beer, for a value of 2,68 billion euros.
Thanks to this operation, the first producer and distributor of beer in China (controlling 18% of sales, ahead of the number two which is Tsingtao) will be able to market Heineken products, many of which packaged directly in Asia, where the Dutch brand has three production sites. An opportunity to attack a market still controlled for 40% by local producers, anticipating the competition from other giants such as Carlsberg and focusing on a product considered premium, with internationally recognized quality, in the context of a market - in particular that of CRH Beer - characterized so far more by low-cost products such as Snow Beer.
Heineken served in and around Beijing will be called “Xi Li” and the operation also has a financial advantage for CRH Beer, given that the Chinese group will in turn have a 0,9% stake, for a value of almost half a billion euros, in the European giant's shareholding. The synergy will also apply on the production side: as mentioned, Heineken already has three sites in China, but from today it will also make use of the China Resources Beer plants.
