Diageo reports that Guinness sales in Europe were up by 24 per cent in the first six months of its financial year. Almost all the growth was in Britain and Ireland, with demand for the Guinness 0.0 brand extension almost doubling during that period. Guinness sales among female consumers now make up about a third of its market. In Britain, demand among women was up by a quarter, with the biggest numbers in the 25-44 age group.
While the stout’s appeal has broadened, there was still a loyal cohort among session drinking ‘rugby heads’. Guinness 0.0 is available in over 1,000 pubs throughout Ireland, and the non-alcohol alternative accounts for four per cent of total stout output from the St. James’s Gate brewery. In a statement, Diageo said that sales missed half-year targets due to a 23 per cent decline in demand in Latin America and the Caribbean for premium spirits.
The company expects organic net sales growth to improve in the second half of the year.
Pictured is La Rochelle head coach and former Ireland rugby international Ronan O’Gara. Diageo, sponsor of the Guinness Six Nations, signed him up to deliver a team talk ahead of Ireland’s opening fixture against France in Marseille on Friday. It promises not to be a typical pep talk as ROG is set to deliver his address in his unique French-Cork-English dialect.
Watch O’Gara’s video on Instagram here
