Reports suggest that strong interest has been generated in both the potential sales of Cadbury’s Australian beverage division and Frucor - owned by Danone. Companies consistently linked to bids have included P&N Beverages, Coca-Cola Amatil and National Foods, although competition concerns could play  a factor in the process, with Coca-Cola Amatil likely to be the most heavily scrutinised by the ACCC - according to analysts. Groupe Danone reported at the end of August that a review of their... ...Read more »

Rumours continue to circulate that Pepsi are sounding out new bottlers for their brands in New Zealand and Australia. The Australian Financial Review last week reported that PepsiCo was discussing their options with potential bottlers in the wake of news that both their New Zealand and Australian partners were reviewing their operations. Frucor, a subsidiary of Danone, is Pepsi’s current New Zealand bottler and Danone recently indicated that a review of operations is underway, with... ...Read more »

Groupe Danone, in response to speculation that a sale of their Australasian beverage group Frucor in on the horizon, has reported that a review of the company has been initiated. “Over the last six years, Frucor has played an instrumental role in the development of Danone’s strategy for beverages,” the company said in a statement. “In light of the Group’s recent refocus on purity and naturality within its Waters division, Danone is conducting a thorough review of all... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil, Australia’s largest soft drink bottler, has reported their first half profit after tax has risen 22% to $171.9 million. The distributor of Coca-Cola in Australia advised that stronger cash control one of the reasons for the increase. New beverage products added impetus to the results, with the Mother re-launch, Kirk’s Ginger Beer, Powerade Edge and Recovery and Glacéau - which is likely reap sales 4 times the original forecasts - among the successful new products introduced... ...Read more »

Cadbury has informed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that they are proposing to sell their beverage business in Australia. Rumours had been circulating for months that a sale was on the cards following the demerger of Cadbury-Schweppes in the US which left Australia as the only country where Cadbury’s confectionery and beverage units were combined. Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) CEO Terry Davis has also fuelled rumours of a Schweppes sale by indicating CCA would be interested... ...Read more »

Speculation continues to mount that Japanese-based Kirin Holdings will make a play for the drinks unit of Cadbury Schweppes in Australia. The Japanese beverage giant already has significant operations in Australia following last year’s $2b purchase of dairy company National Foods. They also have a 46% stake in Lion Nathan Australia and a purchase of Schweppes would mean they would be a major player in the dairy, beer and soft drink sectors. Cadbury announced a review of their beverage operations... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil Limited announced yesterday that they will consolidate their Victorian SPC Ardmona operations. The announcement follows a comprehensive review of its SPC Ardmona operations in the Goulburn Valley, which was initiated “in light of the continued impact of the drought and the need to better manage the Australian fruit intake”. The review determined that there is excess capacity in the Shepparton and Mooroopna plants in the Goulburn Valley and, consequently, the deciduous... ...Read more »

Cadbury has announced a review of their beverage operations here in Australia, upon reporting strong first half growth in 2008. The news has sparked speculation that a sale of their Australian beverage business could be in the offing. Following the demerger of Cadbury Schweppes in the US, Australia is the only remaining country where Cadbury has a combined beverage and confectionery business. As such, it has been anticipated that they would strongly consider separating the two sectors of their Australian... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil Australia is to pilot new cashless vending technology in partnership with Vending Management Services Limited (VMSL). The trial of the new Cashless Payment System and Cashless Reconciliation Engine (CRE) for Coke Vending will allow credit card and scheme-based debit card payments at vending machines. Gary Meier, General Manager of Coke Vending, says the initiative is in response to Australian consumer research. “In Australia, cards already account for more than half of all... ...Read more »

Insight Partners and Citi Investment Research have today released a comprehensive report outlining the impact of unit pricing on retailers, consumers and suppliers in Australia. EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Tax) are likely to be affected with a drop of about 5% anticipated for retailers and suppliers of packaged goods. The issue of unit pricing has been on the agenda for about a year and has been heavily promoted by consumer advocates CHOICE and Family First Senator Steve Fielding. It was initially... ...Read more »