Coopers Sales Reach Record Levels

Media Release – 7 November 2014

Coopers Brewery continued to enjoy strong ongoing growth during the 2013-14 financial year with record sales and turnover figures.

However after tax profits dipped 9.1% from $30.8 million to $28.0 million as a result of costs associated with the installation of a second bottling line and beer sales shifting from kegs to less profitable packaged beer formats.

Coopers Managing Director, Dr Tim Cooper, said total bulk or kegged beer sales fell 1.5% during the year, while packaged beer sales were up 10.3%.

“Total beer sales in 2013-14 grew 8.1% to 75.3 million litres, continuing the steady growth Coopers has enjoyed since 1994,” he said.

“Turnover for the year reached a record $231 million, 6.9% better than the $216 million in 2012-13.”

Dr Cooper said sales in South Australia fell 0.8% during the year, but it remained Coopers’ largest market accounting for 26.8% of total beer sales. Sales in NSW grew 8.2% in the same period and it now accounts for 26.0% of Coopers’ volume.

In the other States:
• Victoria sales were up 15.3% for the year (now represents 17.1% of Coopers’ sales)
• Queensland up 14.4% (14.4%)
• Western Australia up 12% (10.6%)
• Northern Territory up 6.2% (2.6%)
• Exports up 16.6% (2.4% total sales).

Sales of the International beers distributed by Coopers – Sapporo, Carlsberg, Kronenbourg 1664, Kronenbourg Blanc and Mythos – rose 44% in volume and now represent 9.8% of Coopers total beer volume. Coopers brews Sapporo and Carlsberg under licence at Regency Park.

“Overall, Coopers now represents just under 5% of the total Australian beer volume” Dr Cooper said.

“However, total Australian sales for 2013-14 fell about 1%, the fifth year in a row total volume has fallen. A substantial factor in this decline has been the twice yearly indexation of beer excise, which puts downward pressure on sales.

“It is now reaching the stage that the excise rises are counter-productive with the additional tax raised being offset by a drop in overall sales.”

Dr Cooper said Coopers planned to spend more than $4.5 million in the next few months to streamline truck movements around the brewery and install four more fermenters to cope with ongoing growth.

The new fermenters will be installed in early 2015, taking the total number at the brewery to 28.

Dr Cooper said that installing the new fermenters required changes to internal roads within the brewery and this work had already commenced.

The works will also streamline truck movements within the brewery and enable up to 60 semi-trailers to be loaded each day.