Debrosse

"Together with Carrefour, we are trying to grow the beer category, which is beneficial to both the retailer and the supplier," Mr. Debrosse says.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011

"Since we started cooperating with Carrefour last year, sales at Carrefour have been up 3% more than at other retailers in 2010," Mr. Debrosse says.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011

"Sales of beer in bars and restaurants have declined in the past years and will continue to decline, due to stricter regulations on advertising, the smoking ban in bars and restaurants in many European countries," says Mr. Debrosse.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011

Mr. Debrosse sees making these shelves more attractive as key to Heineken's strategy, and this involves entering into cooperation agreements with retailers on presentation and promotion.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011

Mr. Debrosse stresses that "the cooperation is not so much focused on price promotions" but on creating a different kind of shopping experience.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011

Mr. Debrosse says he expects to be able to boost Carrefour's beer sales by a high-single-digit percentage in the next three years, with Heineken, as the initiator, taking the largest percentage of the growth.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011

The average 55-year-old European drinks 35 liters of beer a year, whereas the average 25-year-old consumes 150 liters, Mr. Debrosse says.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011

This is the conundrum facing Didier Debrosse , chief of Western Europe for Dutch brewer Heineken NV.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011

And while other brewers are also in talks with retailers to make their displays more tempting, they are doing it on a country-by-country basis, Mr. Debrosse says, whereas Heineken can use its European scale and market position to agree on European-wide agreements with the retailers, as it has done with Carrefour.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011

"At present, the beer shelves in many major retailers look terrible, making the consumer want to leave them as soon as possible," Mr. Debrosse says.

Heineken's Shelf-Improvement Strategy Anna Marij van der Meulen 2011