Heineken to cut up to 6,000 jobs as beer demand falters

LONDON: Heineken on Wednesday said it would cut up to 6,000 jobs from its global workforce and set lower expectations for profit growth in 2026 than a year earlier, as the Dutch brewer and its peers grapple with weak demand for beers.

The world’s No. 2 brewer by market value has promised to deliver higher growth with fewer resources under a new strategy that runs until 2030.

Brewers have been struggling to generate sales growth due to a number of factors including strained consumer finances, geopolitical turbulence and bad weather.

This productivity drive will unlock significant savings and reduce its global head count by 5,000 to 6,000 positions over the next two years, it said.

CEO Dolf van den Brink, who abruptly announced his resignation in January amid slow sales and frustration from some investors, said Heineken’s “significant cost intervention” would help fund its first priority - accelerating growth.

It will “unlock stronger people productivity and enable greater speed and efficiency,” he continued, adding that Heineken remained prudent about its expectations for the beer market in the future.

Heineken to hike prices as inflation rises

Heineken, which makes Tiger and Amstel, alongside its namesake lager, also trimmed its forecast profit growth range for 2026 compared to a year earlier, saying it expects to grow profits between 2% and 6% rather than the 4% to 8% growth it guided for in 2025.

The brewer reported forecast-beating annual organic operating profit, which grew 4.4% in 2025 versus analyst expectations for 4% growth.