The Coca-Cola brand saw 315 million liter sales in 2013, while Borsec mineral water’s sales volume reached about 283 million liters, according to the Canadean report, which is based on retail sales only.
“Coca-Cola’s market leader position is not guaranteed forever, and, theoretically speaking, a local brand can overtake an international brand on any market,” says Adriana Liute, managing partner of Storience branding agency.
“The more complicated thing is to find the success formula (and the resources) for such a local brand, and, anyway, this overtaking would not happen overnight.”
Coca-Cola and Borsec brands are now vying for the top spot on a market estimated at more than EUR2 billion (some $2.8 billion).
These are the first data about the sales volume of Coca-Cola, as the officials of the company are reluctant to provide sales figures.
Coca-Cola is the most important local brand of bottler Coca-Cola HBC Romania, followed by Fanta and Izvorul Alb.
The three brands sold some 600 million liters in 2013, about 70% of the total Coca-Cola HBC Romania sales, according to ZF’s calculations.
The financial crisis took its toll on Coca-Cola HBC’ sales volume in Romania over the last few years, so the company sold 148.5 million unit cases (1 unit case = approximately 5.678 litres or 24 servings of 8 U.S. ounces, the size of the original Coca-Cola bottle) or 843 million liters in 2013, 25% fewer than in 2008 the last year of economic boom in this country.
“Consumption habits change and we have no way of knowing if people’s wish to have a healthier lifestyle won’t cause Coca-Cola sales to start declining,” Adriana Liute said.
A brand may reach the top spot because of social or cultural factors, as well, not just through the distribution and promotion mechanisms that put Coca-Cola there, she added.
Pepsi-Cola brand of PepsiCo ranks fifth among the best-selling soft drinks and mineral water brands, with a 121 million liter volume in 2013, according to the Canadean report.
Taking into account only carbonated soft drinks, Pepsi ranks third after Coca-Cola and Fanta. Other brands that have gained ground on this segment are Frutti Fresh and Adria of Micula Brothers’ European Drinks. They are far behind Coca-Cola, though.
The soft drinks market fell by about 4% in volume in 2013 and last year was not any better either, due to the bad weather. Soft drinks consumption per capita reached 135 liters in 2013, 10% lower than in 2008, according to ZF’s calculations based on Canadean data. Worst hit category was ice tea, which dropped 16%.
The market leaders, Coca-Cola HBC Romania, Romaqua and Quadrant Amroq Beverages, PepsiCo’s local bottler, were affected, as well. Coca-Cola HBC Romania’s revenue was flat in the first half last year, while Romaqua’s sales fell 8%, the company said. PepsiCo was the worst hit, posting 11% sales decline in the first half.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)