Bethel Finance: Coca-Cola strengthens in stagnant soft drinks market

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Bethel Finance news:
Lower than average temperatures and the social protests were not good for the soft drinks market, which ended 2011 with a decline of 1.5% in the quantity of products sold, and financial growth of only 1.8%. Soft drinks sales reached NIS 4.391 billion, slightly up from NIS 4.31 billion in 2010.

The Central Bottling Company Group (Coca-Cola Israel) strengthened slightly with 2.6% growth in sales, and market share rose from 39.3% in 2010 to 39.5% in 2011. The social protests and consumer price hikes had no effect whatsoever on the company's main brand, which is also the best-selling brand in the market: Coke. Coca-Cola Israel had a quantitative rise of 3.5% in consumption and a 6.5% rise in financial growth. Coca-Cola Israel's market share stood at 11.6% in 2011, and total sales were NIS 509 million, more than double the second best-selling drink, and NIS 31 million more than the previous year.

In 2011, Coca-Cola Israel continued to hold five out of the ten best-selling soft drinks in Israel: Coca-Cola, Prigat, Neviot, Nestea, and Coca-Cola Zero. Moreover, Coca-Cola Zero sales rose 24.6% and its market share rose from 2.4% to 2.9%. As a result, the brand, which in 2010 was rated the tenth best-selling soft drink, was the sixth best-selling soft drink in Israel in 2011.

Prigat continues to be the second best-selling soft drink in Israel, but had a decline of 3.7% in sales this year, reducing its market share from 5.5% to 5.2%. In 2011, consumers spent NIS 228 million on the brand, NIS 9 million less than in 2010.

"Jafora-Tabori, Israel's second largest player in this sector, saw sales fall 2.4% in 2011, while its market share fell to 16.4% from 17.1% in 2010. The fall was largely due to weak sales of the mineral water brands it distributes - Ein Gedi and Eden Springs Ltd. (Maayanot Eden) (TASE: MEYD). Its Spring brand strengthened by 3.1%" said Mr. Cedric Marmet from Bethel Finance Ltd.

Tempo Beer Industries (TASE: TMPO), the country's third largest player in the soft drink sector, maintained its market share of 15.9%, and saw sales rise 1.9%.