Tesco post-Brexit and budget clash with Heineken sees Sol, Amstel and Tiger pulled from shelves
Retailer Tesco has lost a slew of premium beers from its aisles amid an argument with the Heineken group about the pricing of its goods.
Heineken brands dropped by Tesco
Following the Brexit price inflation and chancellor Phillip Hammond’s most recent budget, the Guardian’s reporting that the brewer attempted to raise the prices of its goods to reflect currency fluctuations.
Echoing Unilever’s ‘MartmiteGate’ with the supermarket last year, Tesco reportedly refused to accept a price surge ad verbatim. The long-lasting dispute has seen the number of Heineken products in Tesco reduced from 53 to 22 throughout the course of 2017 – among the dropped brands are Tiger, Amstel, Sol and Kingfisher.
Hammond’s budget came under scrutiny, he raised beer duty by 3.9%, slightly higher than some forecasts have inflation at, hinting at an eventual siphoning of revenue later down the line.
Heineken said: “We don’t comment on commercial arrangements with our customers. “Shoppers will continue to find a broad range of our fantastic beer and cider brands in Tesco.”
Tesco issued a somewhat similar statement: “We frequently review our ranges to ensure they meet the needs of customers. We continue to offer customers a great range of beer, lager and cider.”
It comes after the brewer said it would raise prices by an average of 6p per pint in the UK in January.