Overall sales for Heineken Ireland grew by 4 per cent last year to €346 million last year giving the brewer almost 22 per cent of a contracting Irish beer market, the company said today in a statement.
According to Heineken, the market share for lagers grew by 1 per cent while stout sales declined by 3 per cent over the year. However, the overall Irish beer market was down 1 per cent in 2007 compared with the previous years.
Heineken Ireland owns Murphy's Irish Stout which, the company says, maintained its 5 per cent market share last year.
Heineken Ireland also sells and markets Coors, Amstel and Sol beers.
The company said "on trade" sales through pubs still dominates the market, accounting for 68 per cent of the overall beer market, a fall of over 4 per cent by volume.
The growing popularity of drinking outside pubs can be seen by the 7.5 per cent rise in the volume of beer sales through off-licences. This accounted for 32 per cent of Heineken Ireland sales last year.
This morning Heineken Ireland's Dutch parent reported 2007 net profit in line with its guidance but its shares fell sharply as analysts expressed disappointment at the lack of a concrete 2008 outlook.
By 0850 GMT Heineken shares were down 5.5 per cent at €36.72, having hit €36.26, while the DJ Stoxx European Food and Beverages index was down 1.3 per cent.
Heineken, the world's number 4 brewer by sales, said adjusted net profit rose 23 per cent in 2007, within its target growth rate of 20 to 25 per cent.
It said it expected net profit to rise again in 2008 but said it was too early to give a precise outlook due to uncertainties about the possible impact of inflation and the effect of weakening global growth on beer consumption.
The Dutch brewer also warned it expected raw material and packaging costs to rise 15 per cent in 2008 but added it would be able to fully pass on these costs to most of its markets, although it would not hike prices in the United States, where it needed to exercise caution as it was not market leader.