Anora to distribute select beer brands of AB InBev in Finnish, Norwegian markets

FINLAND – Anora Group, a Nordic distilled beverage and wine company, has signed a partnership with AB InBev to distribute beer brands including Corona, Stella Artois, and Budweiser in the on-trade channel in Finland and Norway.

Through the agreement which comes into effect in September, the Finnish beverage group will be able to strengthen its offering to on-trade customers, a key element in its growth strategy.

The long-term partnership agreement covers all on-trade distribution of AB InBev brands such as Corona Extra and Corona Cero, Stella Artois, and Budweiser in the Finnish and Norwegian markets.

“We are honored and excited about this partnership with AB InBev. We have been focusing strongly on building our on-trade excellence at Anora and this partnership is another important step on that path,” commented Pekka Tennilä, Anora’s chief executive.

“In line with our purpose of bringing the world of drinks to Nordic consumers, with the addition of these iconic beer brands in our partner brand portfolio, we can offer even better service to our on-trade customers in Finland and Norway.”

Jerry Maguire, Director of Growth Markets Europe at AB InBev, lauded the “outstanding reputation” developed by Anora in recent years, adding that the brewer is “delighted to go hand-in-hand with Anora to grow our strong global brands”.

The deal is expected to increase the earnings of Anora Group, which last week posted a 10.2% growth in net sales during the second quarter of its fiscal year, attributed to the positive impact of its acquisition of the Globus Wine portfolio the previous year.

Net sales for the period totaled €182.7 million, up from €165.7 million in the corresponding period last year. Net sales if Globus Wine is excluded, however, totaled €158.5 million.

Comparable EBITDA fell during the quarter, however, to €13 million, due to currency impacts and increased input costs, the firm said.

For the remainder of 2023, Anora said that it expects its comparable EBITDA to be between €70 million and €78 million, a slight decrease from the previous guidance of between €80 million and €90 million.

“Looking ahead for the rest of this year, we remain highly focused on executing our strategy and strengthening profitability,” Tennilä said. “This includes the savings programme, price adjustments, and a focus on reducing net working capital and improving inventory turnover.”

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