Danone, the French dairy conglomerate, announced today that net
profits had plummeted 62 per cent, following the costly €600
million write down of its water-cooler business last month, Tom
Armitage reports.
Danone's rapid expansion into the home and office delivery (HOD)
bottled water market has given it a global market share to match
that of rival Nestlé in recent years, but the growth has not come
without a price, writes Chris...
Sales of oxygen-enriched water have almost quadrupled in Germany
since 2002 to 30 million litres. But in the US where it has been
available for over a decade longer, growth has been attributed to a
much more sophisticated product,...
The World Health Organisation has warned that the death toll of the
Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster could double if disease is allowed to
spread. Clean drinking water is amoung the most important supplies
necessary to prevent further...
Several major beverage companies plan to begin selling flavored
water early next year, a move that could bost their sales in the
rapidly growing bottled water market, according to a report by the
Associated Press (AP) this week.
Russia's OST group, one of the country's biggest alcohol producers,
has built a new bottle plant near Moscow which will supply it with
up to 600 million bottles a year - and save it more than $10
million, writes Angela Drujinina.
Tetra Pak has launched what it describes as a low investment carton
packaging solution ideal for manufacturers looking to penetrate
lucrative new chilled beverage markets.
West Europe's functional soft drinks sector has become a force to
be reckoned with, shows a new report, with nutraceuticals showing
the fastest growth of all categories.
The drinks industry believes fortified beverages are the answer to
claims that Americans are increasingly drinking sweetened soft
drinks at the expense of more nutritious alternatives.
Research suggesting a link between soft drink consumption and
rising levels of diabetes in the US has sparked fierce criticism
from consumer groups and beverage industry associations. Scientists
with an axe to grind have manipulated...
Thailand's tropical climate has fuelled the country's thirst for
soft drinks, with consumption growing steadily in recent years,
according to market analysts Canadean. Bottled water and
other 'healthy' drinks are...
Italy is western Europe’s biggest bottled water market, with both
the highest overall volumes and the largest per capita intake. But
despite this flood of water, the market is far from reaching
saturation as Italians turn increasingly...
Despite a cold winter and spring, Russia's soft drinks market
continued to grow healthily in 2003, helped primarily by the
booming nectars category, where consumption is now almost eleven
times greater than it was in 1994, according...
VBS International has developed a new means of pressure testing
non-carbonated liquid containers, which it claims is ideal for
processors who need to carry out high volumes of pressure testing.
Persuading consumers to pay money for tap water - no matter how
well it is purified and packaged - is a difficult task, but growing
numbers of companies across Europe are successfully doing just
that. The key, it seems, is to focus...
Despite Germany's blisteringly hot weather in 2003, the country's
soft drinks market was badly affected by a controversial mandatory
deposit system which saw many retailers remove one-way containers
from their shelves, according...
The market for alcoholic beverages has changed beyond all
recognition in eastern Europe during the course of the last ten
years. Where there was once nothing but state controlled beer and
liquor companies there is now growing choice...
The Slovakian soft drinks market has grown by a healthy 31 per cent
since 1998, driven by increasing tourism and the arrival of the
multinationals, says a recent market report.
Narzan, one of Russia's best-known mineral water companies, has
received a loan for $12.25 million from the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development as part of a combined equity
investment scheme.
Spain's soft drinks market is expected to grow by around 7 per cent
this year, a slight slowdown compared to 2003's heatwave-boosted
performance but nonetheless healthy growth driven by premium and
functional products.
A recent market reports shows that in the Czech Republic - one of
the most developed markets in Central and Eastern Europe - the
consumption of soft drinks is rapidly catching up with the western
Europe average.
Last year's stockpiling of bottled water in advance of the Iraq war
had a beneficial effect on first quarter sales at Nestlé Waters,
the Swiss-based bottled water group, but meant that this year's
figures showed a significant...
Agilent Technologies and Swiss-based Metrohm have developed a
high-sensitivity method of detecting perchlorate in surface and
drinking water. Perchlorate, an explosive propellant used in rocket
fuel, is a widespread and potentially...
The Baltic drinks market is awash with activity at the moment, with
both Coca-Cola and A. Le Coq making new soft drink launches and
Saku signing a co-operative agreement enabling it to access the
lucrative Finnish beer market.
The active, controlled and intelligent packaging sector in the US
has experienced significant growth over the past few years,
according to a new report published this month. Does this signify a
trend towards the widespread adoption...
British consumers are now drinking more bottled water than ever
before, attracted by the healthy image of the product. And it is
this image which is likely to protect natural mineral waters such
as Evian or Vittel from the impact...
Bottled water, new age beverages and energy drinks are driving
growth in the global soft drinks market, but carbonates are losing
their appeal, according to a new report from market analysts
Datamonitor.
Increasing concerns about the healthiness of soft drinks may have
done little to dent sales of colas and other sugar-laden fizzy
drinks (not least because of the proliferation 'low and light'
variants of these drinks) but...
Soft drinks are set to become the biggest beverage sector in the
world, overtaking hot drinks, with consumption rising by around 5
per cent a year, according to a new report from Zenith
International. But while the US remains the...
France is the home of some of the world's biggest mineral water
brands - Perrier, Vittel, Evian, Volvic, to name just four - but a
new entry into the market early next year is likely to give brand
owners such as Danone and Nestlé...
French soft drinks sales will undoubtedly be boosted this year by
the summer heat wave, but a recent report shows that there was
plenty of growth in the market even before the hot summer.
Energy drinks are adding a touch of zest to the European soft
drinks market, with Mintel's Global New Products Database revealing
an array of weird and wonderful names, ingredients and marketing
ploys.
Danone's move into the high profit home and office delivery sector
of the bottled water market made little impact on first half
results which were instead reduced by negative exchange rates and
disposals.
British consumers are drinking nearly three times as much bottled
water as they were just five years ago - but few drink anywhere
near the recommended daily intake, according to Mintel.
Feldschlösschen, the Swiss unit of Denmark's Carlsberg group, is to
sell its soft drink unit to compatriot juice and cider maker
Thurella in order to focus on its core beer and mineral operations.
An exceptionally hot summer in India last year was good news for
soft drink producers, in particular carbonate manufacturers who saw
sales surge by 20 per cent.
Baltika, the leading Russian beer brand, is to launch its own brand
of bottled water, Khrustalnaya, in a bid to win a share of the
fast-growing mineral water market in Russia.
Mounting animosity to mandatory deposits for non-refillable drinks
containers has been highlighted by criticsm from Europen, the
European Organisation for Packaging and the Environment, in an
address to the European Commission and...
The need for good quality water from a trusted source is driving
bottled water sales in the Asia and Middle East regions, according
to a new report from Zenith International.
Soft drinks consumption in Poland has grown almost exponentially in
the last 10 years, but despite this, growth shows no signs of
slowing as retail networks improve and more new products are
launched.
A small US water bottling company, Kolob, claims to have tripled
productivity and significantly reduced costs following investments
it has made in automation equipment sourced at last year's Pack
Expo in Las Vegas.
Australian bottled water company Neverfail Springwater is reported
to be looking for buyers in Europe, the US and Asia in an effort to
ward off a hostile bid from Coca-Cola Amatil.
