Drinks company C&C Group says its Irish sales of cider are expected to have fallen by 7 per cent when it announces its half year profits in October.
Bulmers sales fall expected due to bad weather. Image: Bryan O'Brien.
The company said its turnover to August 31st was expected to be flat in comparison to the same period as last year. This was due largely to increased marketing and production costs in the cider division.
The company said that overall sales volume in the cider division was expected to see a 2 per cent decrease, with extremely bad weather over the summer blamed.
In Ireland, Bulmers cider volumes are expected to have fallen by 7 per cent in the first half, although shipments of Magners to the United Kingdom are expected to see a 2 per cent rise for the same period.
It is anticipated that C&C's liqueurs and spirits division will see an increase of 8 per cent on the same time last year - fed mainly by the growth of the company's Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey.
The company's soft drinks division is also expecting a drop in its operating profits to €6 million.
The company also announced today it will restart its share buy-back programme following its interim results on October 10th.