The biggest players on the domestic soft drinks market, Coca-Cola and QAB, Pepsi's bottler, have expanded their portfolios on the non-carbonated drinks market, which boasts four times higher growth than the carbonated soft drinks or mineral water markets. The market of soft drinks is estimated to be worth over 500 million euros.
The market share of non-carbonated soft drinks accounts for 9% in the overall market of soft drinks (not including alcohol) and ranks third in terms of volume, after carbonated soft drinks and water, according to Coca-Cola.
On the other hand, QAB representatives say, quoting a survey by Canadean, that sales of non-carbonated drinks will go up by 18-20% this year, compared with the only 3-4% growth rate of the carbonated drinks and mineral water segments.
On Monday, Coca-Cola launched a new range, Cappy Ice Fruit, while the Pepsi bottler decided to re-launch the Prigat Activ brand. Both product launches are the result of the significant production-related investments the two companies made. Coca-Cola invested 17 million euros, while QAB invested around 14.5 million euros.
Cappy Ice Fruit, the new Coca-Cola product range, was launched in the context where the market of non-carbonated drinks increased by 56% this May compared with the similar period of last year, according to company data, which quoted an MEMRB report of May 2006.
"At present, consumers tend to focus on the premium product category. Cappy Ice Fruit is thus launched at the right time," stated Nicoleta Enache, Senior Brand Manager of Non-carbonated Beverages for Coca-Cola Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. She also said that from 2001 to 2005, Cappy sales had been advancing each year, by 37% annually.
The Cappy range is part of the international portfolio of Coca-Cola, with the brand belonging to Minute Maid company, which in 1960 became a Coca-
