ABInBev explores Peroni & Grolsch options
AB InBev stated that it will contact potential purchasers in the coming weeks to assess their interest in the two brand families and their associated businesses in Italy, the Netherlands and the UK and – given the brand’s premium positioning – Greenwich-based craft beer brewer Meantime Brewing.
How such a sale would affect the distributors here of Peroni (Richmond Marketing) and Grolsch (Molson Coors) is not clear.
Any sale may include one or more of these brands or businesses and would be conditional upon closing of the acquisition of SABMiller by AB InBev, stated AB InBev recently.
Like the previously announced disposal of the Miller business to Molson Coors, these steps reflect AB InBev’s proactive approach to addressing potential regulatory concerns.
Amongst those eligible to purchase all or some of these brands is Carlsberg according to analysts, although a Carlsberg spokesman commented, “M&A is not on our agenda”
It’s reckoned that together the two brands Peroni and Grolsch would cost a prospective purchaser around €2.9 billion ($3.2bn).
Carlsberg Chairman Flemming Besenbacher has been telling the Danish press that Carlsberg is no longer trying to grow through Mergers and so the two brand acquisitions are unlikely to be on Carlsberg’s agenda.
