![]() Flavors include combinations such as Banana Colada and Peach Mango. That means Coke will need to try to buy out those contracts.įuze also sells products in Asia, South America, Europe and the Caribbean.įuze juice drinks are sold under the names Slenderize, Refresh and Vitalize, each of which is intended to sum up the "transformative" ingredients found in the bottles. The company has been concerned about Coke’s lack of market leaders in some noncarbonated beverage categories, such as teas and sports drinks, which are dominated by Pepsi products.Ībout 20 independent Coke bottlers already help distribute Fuze drinks, but most of its distribution comes from small bottlers outside the Coke network. "It gives Coke a broad-spectrum, noncarbonated brand to build on," he said.Ĭoca-Cola North America President Sandy Douglas said in a news release that the deal is the latest example "of how we are expanding our portfolio to meet the growing consumer demand for beverage variety and functionality through innovation, business partnerships and acquisitions."Ĭoca-Cola Enterprises, Coke’s largest bottler, praised the move. Sicher said the acquisition could be a "game changer." He estimates Fuze boosted sales by 45 percent last year to about 11.5 million cases.īy comparison, Coke sold 5.5 billion cases of drinks in 2005. in September.įuze sold eight million cases of its vitamin- and mineral-enriched juices and teas in the United States in 2005, according to Sicher, whose publication tracks industry sales. To further its push into the alternative beverages market, Pepsi bought Boulder-based Izze Beverage Co. Now, Coke can use its massive distribution network to take Fuze "to the next level," said the company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer Lance Collins.Ĭoke gets a brand that can better compete with PepsiCo’s SoBe line of drinks, which Pepsi purchased for $370 million six years ago. Coke has struggled to get products quickly onto the fast-growing noncarbonated drink market at a time when consumers are drinking fewer carbonated beverages. Fuze would operate as a stand-alone unit. ![]() ![]() John Sicher, publisher of industry newsletter Beverage Digest, said the deal was worth $225 million to $250 million.Ītlanta-based Coke expects to complete the purchase by the end of the first quarter. The New Jersey-based company managed to elbow its way onto a considerable number of grocery and convenience store shelves in recent years, causing Coke to take note.Ĭoke didn’t disclose the price it will pay or specific details of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval and other conditions. ATLANTA - Coca-Cola announced Thursday that it will take a bigger step into the "enhanced" beverage market by purchasing Fuze Beverage, which sells ready-to-drink juices and teas in funky bottles. ![]()
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