Latest news with #Kronenbourg
Telegraph
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
France's new smoking ban has just started, but nobody appears to have noticed
It started well. Waiting for my train from Lyon Part Dieu to Marseille Saint-Charles at 8am, the man next to me lit up confidently on the platform, blasting fumes into the faces of the many passengers that hadn't yet had their morning coffee. July 1 was the first day of the newly imposed ban on smoking in many of France's public places, from beaches to parks – but not everyone had got the memo. I wasn't remotely surprised. Smoking might be on the decline in France, but almost a quarter of the country still smoke daily, and occasional or 'social' smoking, while difficult to quantify, seems much more prevalent than it is in the UK. I was on my way to one of Marseille's busy city beaches, in the middle of a heatwave, to see if the new smoking ban would be being enforced, and if anyone would be respecting it. My guess? Not a chance. It's been a whirlwind decision, but that seems to be France's style at the moment (Macron's 2024 snap election, I'm looking at you). After it was announced on May 30 in a press release from the ministry of labour, health, solidarity and families, the French public had little more than a month to adapt to the fact that they were no longer allowed to combine their beachfront Kronenbourg or glass of Provençal rosé with a cigarette. Having more than double the amount of smokers than Britain didn't stop France from becoming the first European country to outlaw smoking on beaches. On the banned list are also public parks, covered bus shelters and waiting areas, and outside schools and other buildings regularly frequented by minors, including libraries, sports facilities and swimming pools. More than 90 per cent of children in France smoke before the age of 18, so the measure was introduced to minimise their contact with passive smoke and de-trivialise smoking. E-cigarettes are exempt from the rule for the time being, and the penalty for transgressors is a fine of €135 (£116) – at least in theory. Visit the terrasse of any bar in France in good weather, and you'll be sharing your air with plenty of people smoking skinny little Vogues and Marlboros, generally with ashtrays placed strategically on each table. That's not illegal, yet. There are almost 23,000 tabacs in the country – corner shops where the main commerce is tobacco products, alongside a few magazines and newspapers. My own social smoking, extremely infrequent when I lived in the UK, increased dramatically when I moved to France four years ago, purely because cigarettes are everywhere, and almost as much a part of an apéro as a good cheese board. It didn't matter that it wasn't yet the school holidays and it was a Tuesday afternoon, Marseille 's Plage des Catalans was chock-a-block. The closest beach to the city centre (just 20 minutes on foot from the Vieux Port), it seemed to have lured half the city away from the stuffy 36C heat. People smoked (and vaped) contentedly on the sand. Three policemen, sweating visibly in full uniform, patrolled the beach languidly, but they didn't appear to have anything to do with enforcing the new smoking ban. I watched them walk right past a leathery old man with a rollie in his hand. The old chap was bemused when I asked him what he thought about the new rules: 'It's today? I thought it came into force tomorrow. Bye bye la liberté… They'll never be able to enforce it though.' He appeared to be right. The smell of cigarette smoke mixed with the traffic fumes. Scores of fag packets could be seen next to the towels. On the beach itself there were a handful of people smoking, but on the rocks behind the sand it rivalled a nightclub smoking area for the number of people lighting up. I followed the sweaty policemen for a little while. They showed a remarkable ability to turn a blind eye. I watched them walk past at least five people with cigarettes in hand. The smokers made no effort to conceal them, and the policemen made no effort to intervene. Given a little more time than 32 days, perhaps France really will manage to eradicate its smoking culture. For now, though, it appears to be carrying on exactly as before. Plus ça change, as they say.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Danes boycotting US products like Coca-Cola, Carlsberg says
Danish consumers are boycotting Coca-Cola, Carlsberg CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen said on Tuesday, adding the brewer, which bottles the drink in Denmark, had seen Coca-Cola volumes decline while local rivals gain share. The beermaker, which also sells Kronenbourg beer and soft drinks like Tuborg Soda, said its Coke volumes in Denmark were "slightly down" and that there is "a level of consumer boycott around U.S. brands". Consumers have ditched brands like Tesla, products like U.S. whiskey and U.S. travel plans in protest over U.S. tariffs, foreign policy or Elon Musk's political activities. In Denmark, some local brands were gaining share at the expense of U.S. labels like Coke, Aarup-Andersen told investors on its first quarter earnings call. Coke did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company is feeling the effects of a boycott of its brands from Hispanic consumers in the U.S. over video purportedly showing the company laying off its Latino staff and reporting them to immigration authorities, which Coke says is false. CEO James Quincey said it was focused on recovering from that boycott, which hit its business in the southern U.S. especially. Coke did not reference the boycott in Denmark during an earnings call with analysts on Tuesday. Danish alternatives to Coke include local label Jolly Cola. But Aarup-Andersen said both Coke and Pepsi, which Carlsberg also bottles, sold in Denmark were produced at Danish breweries by Danish workers. "So these are very much, from our perspective, Danish brands," he said, adding Carlsberg was not pro or contra boycotts and respected people's decisions. Carlsberg's overall soft drink portfolio in Denmark was up, and the hit to Coke was "not dramatic" in terms of overall volumes, Aarup-Andersen continued. The brewer warned on Tuesday that U.S. tariffs could affect both consumer spending and raw material costs going forward.
Reuters
29-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Danes boycotting US products like Coca-Cola, Carlsberg says
LONDON, April 29 (Reuters) - Danish consumers are boycotting Coca-Cola, Carlsberg ( opens new tab CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen said on Tuesday, adding the brewer, which bottles the drink in Denmark, had seen Coca-Cola volumes decline while local rivals gain share. The beermaker, which also sells Kronenbourg beer and soft drinks like Tuborg Soda, said its Coke (COKE.O), opens new tab volumes in Denmark were "slightly down" and that there is "a level of consumer boycott around U.S. brands". Consumers have ditched brands like Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab, products like U.S. whiskey and U.S. travel plans in protest over U.S. tariffs, foreign policy or Elon Musk's political activities. In Denmark, some local brands were gaining share at the expense of U.S. labels like Coke, Aarup-Andersen told investors on its first quarter earnings call. Coke did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company is feeling the effects of a boycott of its brands from Hispanic consumers in the U.S. over video purportedly showing the company laying off its Latino staff and reporting them to immigration authorities, which Coke says is false. CEO James Quincey said it was focused on recovering from that boycott, which hit its business in the southern U.S. especially. Coke did not reference the boycott in Denmark during an earnings call with analysts on Tuesday. Danish alternatives to Coke include local label Jolly Cola. But Aarup-Andersen said both Coke and Pepsi (PEP.O), opens new tab, which Carlsberg also bottles, sold in Denmark were produced at Danish breweries by Danish workers. "So these are very much, from our perspective, Danish brands," he said, adding Carlsberg was not pro or contra boycotts and respected people's decisions. Carlsberg's overall soft drink portfolio in Denmark was up, and the hit to Coke was "not dramatic" in terms of overall volumes, Aarup-Andersen continued. The brewer warned on Tuesday that U.S. tariffs could affect both consumer spending and raw material costs going forward.
The Irish Sun
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Booze firm to cut strength of popular beer in weeks and drinkers will be furious
A MAJOR booze firm is set to slash the strength of one of its best-loved beer — and drinkers won't be happy. Coors is dropping the alcohol level of its lager from 4% to 3.4% in the coming weeks, joining a growing list of brands watering down their booze. Advertisement 1 Coors is dropping the alcohol level of its lager from 4% to 3.4% Credit: Amazon/Coors The change coincides with a £6 million brand investment, as Coors seeks to attract younger drinkers who are increasingly opting for lower-strength beverages. This shift follows the introduction of a new alcohol duty system in August 2023. It means drinks are now taxed according to strength rather than type and drinks with ABV's of 3.5% or over are taxed more than those below this figure. Since the introduction of the new system, brewers have been reducing the strength of their beers to 3.4% in order to avoid the higher duty, while keeping prices unchanged. Advertisement The move has become known as "drinkflation", a play on "shrinkflation", which sees retailers make products smaller while keeping prices the same. This strategy is commonly employed by businesses to offset increasing production costs. A large hit to profit margins may push a company to reduce the size of its products rather than push up the price. You can often spot shrinkflation if a company redesigns its packaging or uses a new slogan. Advertisement Most read in Money It is often used in the food and drink industry but can also happen in almost all markets. What other brands have slashed alcohol content? The move by Coors is the latest blow for beer lovers as more brands quietly tweak recipes while keeping prices similar. Britain's best beer ranked Earlier this year, Heineken dropped the alcohol level of its SOL brand drinks from 4.2% to 3.4%. Grolsch was The beer, relaunched by Asahi in 2020 after being scrapped the year before, was previously sold at 5% ABV. Advertisement Kronenbourg saw its alcohol content drop from 5% to 4.6%, with Carlsberg Marston's insisting it could still 'deliver great taste and quality' despite the change. Hophead, brewed by Asahi-owned Dark Star, also fell from 3.8% to 3.4% last year as part of a major revamp across the range . Banks Amber Ale was reduced from 3.8% to 3.4% in mid-2023 as part of a move to encourage 'moderation' among drinkers. John Smith's Extra Smooth, the UK's No.1 keg ale, had its ABV trimmed from 3.6% to 3.4% to support healthier drinking habits according to Heineken. Advertisement Fosters, the Aussie-themed lager, had its alcohol level cut from 4% to 3.7% back in 2022 as part of Heineken's drive to meet demand for lower-alcohol drinks. In other news , pubgoers in Burnley , Lancashire, can get the cheapest pints for as low as £2.50, according to data analysed by small business comparison site Bionic. The analysis looked Google searches, social media trends data, and the popularity and fame of different alcohol brands. Why pubs are pushing up prices? However, as a whole prices for pints are on the up. Advertisement The latest figures come after the British Beer and Pub Association warned the average cost of a pint across the UK will rise from around £4.80 to £5.01. It said pubs are expecting to raise their average prices by 21p. Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) found the cost of a pint of draught lager in pubs jumped almost 3% in the year to January 2025. Pubs say they have been forced to push up prices because of a series of cost increases announced in last October's Budget. Advertisement They say the only way they can stay open is to pass the raised costs on to customers. Simon Dodd, chief executive of Young's, said the chain planned to increase its prices by between 2.5% and 3%. Read more on the Irish Sun Wetherspoons also recently hiked the price of some of its drinks and meal deals by up to 30p. Meanwhile Heineken increased the price of its draught beer by an average of 2.97% for pubs in February. Advertisement How to save money buying alcohol Alcohol can be pricey if you're planning a party or hosting an event but there are ways to cut costs. It's always important to drink responsibly, here, Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements share some tips on getting booze for the best price. Stocking up can mean big savings on drinks, especially if you want to buy wine or fizz. The big supermarkets regularly offer discounts of 25% when you buy six or more bottles of wine. The promotions typically run in the lead up to occasions such as Bank Holidays, Christmas and Easter. If you know you are going to need booze later in the year, it can be worth acting when you see offers. Before buying your preferred drink make sure you shop around to find the best price – you can use a comparison site such as or Don't forget that loyalty cards can unlock better savings so make sure you factor that in too. If you like your plonk, wine clubs can also be a good way to save money and try new varieties. You'll usually have to pay a membership fee in return for cheaper price so work out if you will be buying enough to make the one off cost worthwhile.
