“Ambev Sees 2.6% Drop in Beer Volumes Sold in Brazil Amid Adverse Weather”
Valor Econômico reports:
“Ambev recorded a 2.6% drop in beer volume sold in the fourth quarter compared to the same period the previous year, to 24.636 million hectolitres. The decline, according to the company, was driven by adverse weather conditions, especially in October, and by the macroeconomic environment. The downturn was already expected by the market given a quarter that was considered weak for the sector. Yesterday, Heineken also reported a tough end of year.”
Zé Delivery Closes 2025 With 67 Million Orders”
O Globo reports:
“Zé Delivery closed 2025 with record numbers and expanded its presence in the beverage delivery market in the country. According to data released by Ambev in its financial report on Thursday (12), the app accumulated 10 million active buyers over the year and recorded 67 million orders.
“Sporting events and the end-of-year period helped drive performance. On a day of Libertadores matches, the app surpassed the 500,000 orders mark. December, traditionally busier due to summer and festivities, was the best month in the service’s history, with more than 7 million orders and 25% growth in GMV year-on-year.
“Created as Ambev’s direct sales channel to the end consumer, Zé Delivery is present in more than 850 Brazilian cities.”
Other Articles on Same Topic
- Premium beers shield Ambev and Heineken profits in 2025, compensating for volume decline (Guia da Cerveja)
- Brazilians drank less beer in 2025 – for Ambev, it was the cold’s fault (InvestNews)
- Ambev net profit falls 9.9% in Q4 2025; non-alcoholic beer volumes up 43% (Poder360)
- Ambev blames cold weather for 4.5% drop in beer sales in 2025 (GC Notícias)
Assessment
Ambev, AB InBev‘s Brazilian subsidiary that controls roughly 60% of the entire beer market, reported a 4.5% decline in beer volume for 2025. The drop was industry-wide. Heineken reported a similar decline.
Ambev blamed La Niña weather, but independent data points to something more structural: the decline coincides with shifting consumption patterns. Brazil’s 3rd National Alcohol and Drugs Survey found that the share of adults reporting past-year alcohol use fell from 47.7% to 42.5% between 2012 and 2023.
Ambev is trying to offset falling volumes through aggressive expansion of digital alcohol availability. Its Zé Delivery platform closed 2025 with 67 million orders, 10 million active buyers, and R$4.7 billion in sales (up 13%). On a single Libertadores match day the app processed over 500,000 orders. This is the same platform that in October 2025 launched 15-minute delivery guarantees across all Brazilian capital cities, designed to increase purchase frequency and remove barriers to impulsive alcohol purchases. In the face of declining population-level alcohol consumption, Big Alcohol is doubling-down on efforts to drive up alcohol consumption through every available channel.
Digital delivery platforms such as Zé Delivery dramatically increase alcohol availability by eliminating temporal and spatial alcohol availability limits. Brazil has no dedicated regulatory framework for digital alcohol sales. The Selective Tax rate debate should be accompanied by evidence-based solutions to address alcohol availability – to ensure that taxation gains are not undermined by an industry deploying digital tools to circumvent the effects of higher prices on consumption.