“After 21 years it was high time we took this step, which we have been preparing for some time, but we wanted to do everything right and carefully research the market beforehand,” said Razvan Vasile, commercial director of Alexandrion Grup Romania.
“We’ve already started talks with potential partners but have not struck a deal with anyone yet and are open to talks.”
Alexandrion invested more than one million lei (more than EUR200,000) in the development of a sales department dedicated to the high HoReCa segment last year, so the non-alcoholic product distribution will cover both this segment and retail.
The decision comes at a time when more and more companies are branching out in an attempt to find new avenues for growth. One such example is the bottlers of water for use in water dispensers Cumpana and La Fantana, which expanded into the coffee segment by buying a stake or taking over completely companies that distribute it.
“We want to have the non-alcoholic product range available in high HoReCa locations by yearend if not sooner. We’ve got the necessary infrastructure, we’ve got the know-how we acquired in our 21 years of experience and we are only waiting to find the right partners,” Razvan Vasile said.
Alexandrion Grup Romania will compete with Coca-Cola HBC and PepsiCo on the non-alcoholic ready to drink segment, as well as with companies importing San Pellegrino, Vittel and Evian. The leading actors of the coffee segment are Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Strauss Romania (Doncafe), Nestle (Nescafe) and Lavazza (distributed by La Fantana), illy (Pro Brands Distribution) and Iulius Meinl.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)