A.G. Barr to Discontinue Strathmore Water Brand by 2026
(Reuters) -Irn-Bru maker A.G. Barr said on Tuesday that it intends to discontinue its bottled water brand Strathmore later this fiscal year ending January 2026, as the beverages group looks to simplify its structure and boost profits.
The discontinuation of Strathmore could lead to the closure of a manufacturing facility in Forfar, Scotland, the company said.
As British consumer-facing companies struggle with persisting weakness in sales amid rising inflation, Barr has successfully side-stepped the impact under its recently-appointed CEO Euan Sutherland's margin-focused strategy.
Last year, the maker of the orange fizzy drink shut down its Moston, Wednesbury and Dagenham operations in England under its 'Barr Direct' model and moved to integrate its popular energy drink brand Boost with its broader soft drinks segment.
The beverage maker kept its annual outlook unchanged and said it is trading in line with expectations, after reporting a 15.8% rise in adjusted pre-tax profit for fiscal 2025.
(Reporting by Yamini Kalia and Raechel Thankam Job in Bengaluru; Editing by Sumana Nandy)