Coors Almost Flat in 2004

Coors issued volume numbers on Friday for Q4 and the full year 2004. For the quarter ending December 26, 2004, Coors shipments increased 4.2%, while wholesaler sales to retail increased 0.8% compared to the same period a year ago, suggesting inventory build compared to last year's easy comps and last year's sparse distributor inventory. For the 52-week period ended December 26, 2004, U.S. sales volume and sales to retail decreased 0.8% and 0.2%, respectively, compared to full year 2003. Coors