Tapping into Carlsberg’s Digital Landscape in Europe: A Market Analysis

Carlsberg, a renowned name in the world of brewing, has solidified its presence and influence in the European market over the years. In 2022, Carlsberg achieved a global revenue of 9.43 billion euros ^[1]. This remarkable financial milestone further underscores the brand's strong establishment in the industry. With a history dating back to the mid-19th century, the brand's resilience and adaptability in the ever-evolving beer market shine through. 

The European beer market, generating a staggering revenue of 138 billion dollars in 2022, is predicted for significant growth across all segments until 2027 ^[2]. A notable transformation is witnessed in the on-premise revenue share, which dropped to a historic low of 49% in 2020 ^[3]. This substantial decline, almost 10 percent less than the revenue share in 2019, signifies a remarkable shift in consumption patterns. Following this trend, Carlsberg's strategic decision to venture into the food delivery sector reflects its forward-thinking approach to staying relevant and accessible in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

This article delves into a comprehensive Carlsberg’s European market data analysis, where Carlsberg extends its reach with the convenience of modern technology. By leveraging Dashmote’s Data Analytics SaaS platform, we analysed Carlsberg's presence and growth on food delivery platforms throughout Europe. 

Carlsberg is available on a variety of food delivery platforms in Europe, such as Just Eat Takeaway, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo. One of Carlsberg's key strengths lies in its diverse product portfolio, catering to a wide range of consumer preferences. The selection of Carlsberg beers offered varies depending on the restaurants and stores but generally includes Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, Carlsberg Expørt, Carlsberg Special Brew, and Carlsberg 0.0.

Based on Dashmote’s data, Carlsberg exhibits a food delivery beverage penetration rate exceeding 5% in 3 out of 17 countries within the present analysis. Carlsberg is particularly dominant on Danish food delivery platforms, where 13.8% of digital storefronts selling beverages also feature Carlsberg products. This aligns with Carlsberg's Danish origin. However, there is ample room for Carlsberg to expand across the rest of Northern Europe. Notably, Carlsberg's penetration rate remains relatively low in Norway (1%) and Sweden (2%).

Romania claims the second spot for Carlsberg prevalence, boasting a substantial food delivery penetration rate of 10.9%. This is followed by the UK (5.6%) and Hungary (3.7%). Moreover, Our data shows that Carlsberg has a food delivery penetration rate below 1% in the following European countries: Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. Whereas in Finland, Austria, Slovakia, Turkey and Czechia, Carlsberg is not yet available on food delivery platforms. This phenomenon underscores significant opportunities for Carlsberg to grow and expand strategically in the European food delivery market. In comparison to Heineken, which boasts a 10% average food delivery penetration rate in the south of Europe, Carlsberg can still progressively establish its presence towards achieving prominence in the European market. 

Based on Dashmote’s data, a majority of countries have witnessed a noteworthy growth in Carlsberg's digital storefront listings on food delivery platforms spanning from Q4 2022 to Q2 2023. Poland experienced the largest increase of 30.4%, yet its digital storefront base for Carlsberg remained relatively small at 524 listing Carlsberg by Q2 2022. Following closely when it comes to growth in Carlsberg’s digital storefront listings is Hungary, exhibiting a remarkable growth of 21.2%, and the UK with a commendable 17.2% expansion. Denmark, the birthplace of Carlsberg, demonstrated a steady average growth of 5.9% over the past six months. Conversely, Spain (-59.9%) and France (-22.6%) encountered substantial declines in Carlsberg's digital storefront listings, which stands out as an intriguing exception among this trend of growth.

It's important to note that Norway (+35%) and the Netherlands (+11.1%) are excluded from the graph above despite their high growth rates. This exclusion is due to their limited digital storefront base listing Carlsberg, which is less than 30 across food delivery platforms.

European consumers are increasingly leaning towards alcohol-free alternatives, driven by health consciousness and lifestyle changes. Revenue in the Non-Alcoholic Beer market amounts to US$34.65bn in 2023. The market is expected to grow annually by 7.56% (CAGR 2023-2027) ^[4]. Within this growing trend, Carlsberg 0.0 emerges as a companion for wellness seekers. The latest iteration of Carlsberg 0.0 that was relaunched in 2023 was “everything you’d expect from a well-balanced pilsner, just crafted to contain zero alcohol” , said Carlsberg head of marketing Sam Johnson ^[5].

Dashmote's data reveals the promising early stages of Carlsberg 0.0's presence on European food delivery platforms. While it has already marked its presence in a number of countries, it remains absent in markets such as Portugal, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Notably, there are 27 online platforms in Norway that offer Carlsberg for sale, and the entirety of these platforms also provide Carlsberg 0.0. This is a result of the restriction on delivering alcoholic beverages with food in Norway. Consequently, a few digital storefronts have opted to sell non-alcoholic beers as an alternative. In Sweden, an impressive  58.3% digital storefronts offering Carlsberg also showcase Carlsberg 0.0, despite its relatively modest digital storefront count of 203.

Dashmote is dedicated to assisting enterprises in overcoming obstacles and achieving success in the digital market. As the foremost provider of big data and AI analytics solutions in the food and beverage (F&B) sector, we enable brands to make informed strategic choices by offering thorough analysis and invaluable insights into the food delivery market and F&B trends. Interested in taking your online business to the next level? Please reach out to our team at contact@dashmote.com.

If you find this article valuable, you may wish to check out more of our blog articles on other beer brands, such as Tsingdao and Heineken.