For the second year in a row, Carlsberg was the fastest growing international beer brand in the world, according to the latest reports from market research company Canadean. Carlsberg outperformed its competitors in 2003 by a wide margin, posting an impressive 11.5% growth in 2003, compared to 8.4% in 2002, Carlsberg said in a statement on November 23, 2004.

Stella Artois came in second, lagging behind Carlsberg by nearly five percentage points with 7.8% growth. Carlsberg’s running mate Tuborg came in third place with a growth rate of 3.7%.

Canadean defines international brand growth as simply the brand’s total volume minus volume in its home market. As a sector, international brands are growing at an average of around 3.5% per year, making Carlsberg’s 11.5% growth stand out even more.

Carlsberg has also moved up in the ranks in terms of total volume and is now the third largest among international brands. Heineken is still the largest international beer brand in terms of volume. Carlsberg’s sales increased by one million hectolitres in 2003.

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