SABMiller, the brewer in the midst of being acquired by its bigger rival, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), said it sold 4% more lagers in the first three months of 2016 than it did in the same period a year ago.
The maker of Miller Lite, Castle Lager, Hero, among others said its revenue rose 7% in the quarter ended March 31 with volume rising 4%.
Coca-Cola’s revenue fell for the fourth straight quarter as weak demand in Europe and a strong dollar against other currencies cut into sales from other markets outside the United States, including Latin America.
Coke and its smaller rival, PepsiCo have been hurt as consumers increasingly turn away from carbonates and instead opt for healthier beverages such as teas, water, fruit juices and smoothies.
The Coca-Cola Company has launched a new packaging design to complement its ‘One brand’ marketing campaign unveiled globally in January and last week in Nigeria.
According to the company, Mexico will be the first market to see the new design, which will be in place starting in May. The new packaging will be rolled-out to additional markets in 2016 and 2017.
PepsiCo, the giant soft drinks maker known for its Pepsi-cola brand, among others, said it “was aggressively moving towards products with fewer calories” in a bid to transform its product portfolio. It added that it was reducing reliance on carbonates and focusing more on what it calls ‘guilt-free’ beverages.
