How Low-Alcohol Beer is Leading to job Cuts at Heineken

The global brewing giant Heineken has revealed plans to reduce its workforce by 6,000 positions across 2026 and 2027, representing approximately 7% of its total staff.

The announcement comes as the company grapples with shifting consumer behaviour in the beverage sector and lowered profit growth forecasts.

The Dutch brewer's full year results showed total sales declined by 1.2% in 2025, prompting the company to implement measures aimed at unlocking significant savings of approximately €450m (US$500m) through headcount reduction.

Declining beer consumption

The cuts are expected to affect both brewery operations and white-collar positions, with artificial intelligence technologies playing a role in driving productivity improvements across the organisation.

According to the company's latest earnings report, published on 11 February, the strategy focuses on accelerating growth through enhanced productivity and operational model changes.

The cost intervention measures planned over the next two years are designed to strengthen workforce efficiency and enable greater speed across the business.

Discussing this strategy in the company’s latest earnings report, published 11 February, CEO Dolf van den Brink says: “Our first priority is to accelerate growth, funded by stepped up productivity and operating model changes that will involve a significant cost intervention over the next two years. This will unlock stronger people productivity and enable greater speed and efficiency.”

Leadership transition underway

In January 2026, Heineken announced that CEO Dolf van den Brink would be stepping down from his position in May 2026, following a notable decline in beer sales.

Dolf, who has served as CEO for six years and spent more than 28 years with the company, will remain in an advisory capacity to support the leadership transition.

The brewing company has yet to name a successor, though the board has indicated it is considering candidates from both internal and external sources.

Announcing his resignation, Dolf said: “After six years as CEO and more than 28 years at Heineken, I believe this is the right moment to transition leadership as the company prepares for the next phase of the EverGreen strategy. 

“The past years have been marked by significant change as Heineken progressed through its transformation and has now reached a stage where a transition in leadership will best serve the company in further executing its long-term ambitions. 

“Over the coming months, I remain fully focused on disciplined execution of our strategy and to ensure a smooth transition.”

Adapting to changing drinking habits

The workforce reductions follow a period of declining revenue for Heineken, reflecting broader trends in the beverage industry as consumer drinking patterns evolve.

Research from Drinkaware indicates that 49% of UK adults are choosing no or low alcohol options, whilst Gallup research shows just 62% of young people in 2024 drink alcohol, compared to 72% in 2001-2003.

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These shifting consumption patterns have significant implications for traditional brewers, forcing companies like Heineken to reassess their operational structures and product portfolios. The move towards moderation and alcohol-free alternatives represents a fundamental shift in the drinks market that major beverage manufacturers must navigate.

Russ Mould, Investment Research Director at broker AJ Bell, said of the company’s CEO succession: “Whoever becomes Heineken’s new CEO will walk into the top job with many difficult decisions having already been made. 

“There is no news on who will replace Dolf van den Brink when he leaves in May, but the pressure is on to find a new leader fast and one who can breathe new life into the beer giant.”

EverGreen 2030 response

In response to these challenges, Heineken has developed its EverGreen 2030 strategy, designed to make the organisation more agile and competitive in an increasingly volatile market.

The strategy includes consolidating more than 60 separate HR systems into one overarching platform to provide greater consistency, implementing AI technologies to facilitate internal mobility by mapping employee skills and developing leadership capabilities focused on creating a high-performance culture.

According to company statements, the strategy represents a fundamental transformation of the business to stay ahead in an increasingly volatile geopolitical and economic landscape.

The EverGreen 2030 approach aims to sharpen the brewer's growth strategy, allowing the company to navigate consumer shifts and capture structural growth opportunities through its global footprint, leadership in growth segments and its portfolio of power brands.

The success of these measures could determine Heineken's ability to maintain its position in a beverage market where traditional beer consumption faces ongoing pressure from changing consumer preferences and lifestyle choices.