All change in UK soft drinks
Two new soft drinks are being launched every week and one soft drinks company is changing hands every month, according to the latest Special Report on the UK Soft Drinks Industry from specialist consultants Zenith International.
"There have already been over 50 new product launches this year, ranging from the high profile Sunny Delight and Ribena Tooth Kind to more niche offerings like Zero Gravity with suspended jelly balls and Jokk lingonberry juice drink from Lapland," comments Zenith Chairman Richard Hall.
"The pace and scale of acquisitions has been even more astonishing," he adds. "Behind Coca-Cola Schweppes, Princes and Cott are fast catching up with Britvic after a series of UK purchases. These two superbottlers are now among the largest own label suppliers in Europe and could soon enter the overall European top 10."
Japanese owned Princes Soft Drinks bought Barber Springdale ranked 12th in June 1997 then Waterford Juices at 19th in March 1998. Canadian owned Cott Beverages took over 18th placed Crystal Drinks in December 1995 then Hero Drinks Group UK at 5th in November 1997.
Amongst other recent transactions, Sodastream featured in a management buyout from Cadbury Schweppes in September 1997 and then merged with the international Soda-Club Group in April 1998. Tropicana acquired Copella Fruit Juices in January 1998 and has now itself been put on the market by Seagram. Over ten smaller deals have taken place in the rapidly emerging water cooler sector.
Forecasts for the future of UK soft drinks remain buoyant, despite poor summer weather so far, with Zenith projecting continued growth of around 3% a year, taking consumption past 11,000 million litres in the year 2000.
The 1998 Zenith Special Report on the UK Soft Drinks Industry analyses consumption trends from 1980 to 2005 and provides detailed profiles on the top 50 companies. Contact Zenith International on tel +44 (0)1225 327900, fax +44 (0)1225 327901
Notes for Editors
1. For further information, please contact:
Richard Hall or Jason Holway, Zenith International Ltd
7 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB, United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0)1225 327900 Fax +44 (0)1225 327901
"There have already been over 50 new product launches this year, ranging from the high profile Sunny Delight and Ribena Tooth Kind to more niche offerings like Zero Gravity with suspended jelly balls and Jokk lingonberry juice drink from Lapland," comments Zenith Chairman Richard Hall.
"The pace and scale of acquisitions has been even more astonishing," he adds. "Behind Coca-Cola Schweppes, Princes and Cott are fast catching up with Britvic after a series of UK purchases. These two superbottlers are now among the largest own label suppliers in Europe and could soon enter the overall European top 10."
Japanese owned Princes Soft Drinks bought Barber Springdale ranked 12th in June 1997 then Waterford Juices at 19th in March 1998. Canadian owned Cott Beverages took over 18th placed Crystal Drinks in December 1995 then Hero Drinks Group UK at 5th in November 1997.
Amongst other recent transactions, Sodastream featured in a management buyout from Cadbury Schweppes in September 1997 and then merged with the international Soda-Club Group in April 1998. Tropicana acquired Copella Fruit Juices in January 1998 and has now itself been put on the market by Seagram. Over ten smaller deals have taken place in the rapidly emerging water cooler sector.
Forecasts for the future of UK soft drinks remain buoyant, despite poor summer weather so far, with Zenith projecting continued growth of around 3% a year, taking consumption past 11,000 million litres in the year 2000.
The 1998 Zenith Special Report on the UK Soft Drinks Industry analyses consumption trends from 1980 to 2005 and provides detailed profiles on the top 50 companies. Contact Zenith International on tel +44 (0)1225 327900, fax +44 (0)1225 327901
Notes for Editors
1. For further information, please contact:
Richard Hall or Jason Holway, Zenith International Ltd
7 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB, United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0)1225 327900 Fax +44 (0)1225 327901