This is one of the highest climbs by a local manufacturer in a ranking topped by Renault-owned Automobile Dacia.
The bottler that has seen a decline in sales almost on a yearly basis in the last few years is gaining ground on foreign markets as consumption in Romania dropped during the crisis. Soft drinks consumption fell by about 10% in 2013 compared with 2008, to 135 liters per capita.
Coca-Cola HBC’s sales volumes in Romania have shrunk by almost 30% in the last seven years.
The company ended last year with 6% decline in sales to 790 million liters (139 million unit cases), according to the latest report of its parent company.
Its sales volumes increased only once during the crisis, in 2012, when the bottler saw growth of 1%. The company posted 1.8 billion lei (EUR404 million) revenue in 2013, down 7% on 2012. The first half of 2014 came with flat sales of RON837 million, according to the latest financial data available.
Coca-Cola HBC Romania exports about 5% to 10% of its production. The products exported are Dorna, Cappy Pulpy, Nestea and Burn in 500 ml containers, Fanta, Schweppes and Coca-Cola. One of its best-sellers abroad is Cappy Pulpy, with half of the production of this brand shipped to countries like Hungary, Bulgaria and Switzerland in March last year. (EUR1=RON4.4551)
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)