Carlsberg: Global Beverage Supply Chain Success with Britvic
Carlsberg Group published its half year (H1) financial results for 2025, reporting growth in a volatile environment and emphasising how the acquisition of Britvic, completed in January, expands its supply chain reach and operational strength.
Chief Executive Officer Jacob Aarup-Andersen says: "We're pleased with the underlying Britvic performance in the key UK and Ireland markets.
“The business integration is progressing well and according to plan, making us excited about the long-term value creation from this acquisition."
Supply chain expansion
Founded in 1847, Carlsberg is a Danish multinational brewer with operations worldwide.
Through the integration of Britvic, a British soft drinks producer with 39 brands including Robinsons, Purdey’s, Lipton, Teisseire and Pepsi Max, Carlsberg adds over 4,000 new colleagues and significantly widens its distribution and production network.
The addition of Britvic is described in the H1 report as a strong initial integration, with supply chain synergies already showing results.
Britvic contributed 11.2m hectolitres (hl) in volume and revenue of DKK 7.3bn (£843m/US$1.1bn). For the UK, organic volume growth is up 1% and in Ireland it is up 2%.
Carlsberg points to this outcome as proof that a diversified supply chain creates long-term value.
The integration shows that linking logistics, procurement and distribution from two businesses can create efficiencies while meeting consumer demand across categories.
Results across global regions
Jacob and Ulrica Fearn, who is the Chief Financial Officer, share a joint statement on LinkedIn alongside the H1 report, reflecting on both the Britvic acquisition and wider market conditions: "In a difficult half year, we delivered solid results with good market share development across all three regions, particularly in Western Europe, driven by good momentum across key categories, including premium beer, alcohol-free brews and soft drinks.
"Amid the continued uncertainty and high volatility, we maintained our commitment to investing in and executing on our Accelerate SAIL growth drivers - laying a strong foundation for sustainable, long-term value creation."
In Western Europe, reported revenue increased by 34.9%, supported by Britvic volumes and stronger sales of alcohol-free beer and soft drinks.
In the Nordic region, a decline in mainstream beer is offset by growth in premium beer and soft drinks, demonstrating the advantage of a supply chain with more product variety
Asia records an organic decline in total volumes of 2.8% but revenue per hectolitre rises by 1%.
Central and Eastern Europe, along with India, see volumes up 9.5% and revenue up 11.4%, though operating profit falls by 1.8%.
These mixed results show that while global conditions remain volatile, regional supply chain diversity helps balance outcomes.
Growth outlook into H2
Ulrica summarises the H1 results in supply chain terms, noting the balance between reported and organic measures.
She says: "Total reported volumes were up by 16%, revenue grew by 18.2% and operating profit was up by 15.1%. Looking at our organic development, volumes declined by 1.7% and revenue also decreased by 0.3% while organic operating profit grew by 2.3%."
Carlsberg narrows its full year guidance for organic operating profit growth but remains confident about its strategy.
By strengthening its chain of production, distribution and partnerships, the group sees stability ahead.
The long-term supply chain impact of the Britvic acquisition is already visible in wider product reach, higher resilience and the ability to meet varied consumer preferences.
Looking forward, Carlsberg positions itself for continued success through this integrated network.
