THE HAGUE – Dutch beer brewer Heineken said Wednesday it plans to cut 8,000 staff, nearly 10% of its global workforce, as part of a cost-cutting reorganization after a pandemic-dominated year that saw it sink to a net loss of 204 million euros ($248 million).
With bars and pubs around the world closed during coronavirus lockdowns and alcohol bans in some of its markets, Heineken sold 8% less beer than in 2019.
Revenue fell nearly 17% to 23.8 billion euros. CEO Dolf van den Brink described 2020 as “a year of unprecedented disruption and transition” for the brewer.
The company said that the pandemic “continues to have a material impact on our top-line performance, affecting all geographies and markets as governments across the world took