Coca-Cola Volumes Up 4% in Q2

Strong worldwide unit case volume growth of 4 percent in the quarter and 3 percent year-to-date, international unit case volume growth of 5 percent in the quarter and 4 percent year-to-date.

22 Jul 2009 The Coca-Cola Company has reported healthy second quarter 2009 operating results with unit case volume increasing 4 percent, successfully cycling 3 percent growth in the prior year quarter. Internationally, the company achieved broad-based unit case volume growth of 5 percent, cycling 5 percent growth in the prior year quarter. In the quarter, unit case volume growth increased strongly in key emerging markets with 33 percent growth in India and 14 percent growth in China. Sound unit case volume growth was realized in other key markets around the world including Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Thailand, Korea and Northwest Europe.

"Globally, we gained volume and value share in nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages for the eighth consecutive quarter. Through our global Open Happiness campaign, we continue to grow brand Coca-Cola, up 3 percent in the quarter,"the company reported. Notably, brand Coca-Cola growth was strong across both developed and emerging markets including 3 percent growth in Mexico, 5 percent growth in Japan, 6 percent growth in China and 29 percent growth in India. Sparkling beverage unit case volume increased 2 percent in the quarter, with international sparkling beverage unit case volume increasing 4 percent, cycling 2 percent growth. Still beverage unit case volume increased 8 percent in the quarter, led by sound growth across the portfolio, including juices and juice drinks, sports drinks, teas and water brands. Still beverage unit case volume increased 12 percent internationally and 1 percent in North America.

“We continue to deliver solid operating performance,” said Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive officer, The Coca-Cola Company. “In the first half of the year, we delivered volume and profit results in line with our long-term growth targets, despite very challenging global economic conditions. We outperformed the nonalcoholic ready-to-drink industry in most of our key markets and drove further global volume and value share gains. Our consistent strategies are working, and together with our productivity efforts, we are prudently focused on investing in the long-term growth of our resilient business. Our investments in key growth markets contributed to the good performance in China, Mexico, India and Brazil. And, with our disciplined approach to productivity initiatives, we remain on track to achieve our $500 million target in annualized savings by 2011 and expect to deliver more than half of the savings by the end of this year.”

“We have also begun rolling out our 2020 Vision, the roadmap for winning together with our worldwide bottling partners. Our 2020 Vision roadmap is bringing new clarity and focus to our global business and is ensuring that our system is ideally positioned to make the most of the abundant opportunities ahead of us. We believe our unique global franchise model is the best way to win in the market, while providing sustainable profitable growth for our customers and shareowners. Our priorities remain centered on superior execution to drive value for today while strategically investing in growth for tomorrow. Over the next decade, we expect to see a global economy inevitably strengthened by attractive demographic shifts, rapid urbanization, renewed entrepreneurial energy and improved consumer sentiment. These trends bode well for the future of The Coca-Cola Company and our system.”