Coca-Cola for the first time has deviated from its popular soda drinks to launch a lemon flavoured alcopop, a spirits-based beverage that is mixed with fruit juices in Japan.
The beverage giant announced in March it would start making the drinks in Japan as it tries to tap into new markets and consumers.
Coca-Cola has announced it would start making alcopops in Japan.
Alcopops are a special type of alcoholic beverages that mixes flavoured or real fruits such as apples, citrus, lemon and others with spirits like vodka, rum, etc.
Beam Suntory, Inc, the alcoholic beverage arm of Japanese group Suntory Holdings said that revenue for the first-half of 2017 was driven by rising consumer demand and favourable share trends across key markets.
The company said that sales grew in the mid-single-digits, driven by double-digit global gains from Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbons.
Heineken N.V. announced on Thursday that it has completed the acquisition of Brazil Kirin Holdings S.A. from Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings Company, Limited.
“The closing of the transaction follows fulfilment of all conditions precedent as agreed on 13 February 2017, when HEINEKEN announced it had entered into an agreement to acquire Brasil Kirin,” Heineken said in a statement.
Heineken N.V said on Monday it has agreed to acquire the loss making business of Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings Limited Brazil unit for $706m. Including debt, the Dutch brewer said it would pay €1.025bn for the transaction.
Kirin said it was exiting the Brazilian beer market citing a “stagnant and competitive” market.
“Considering various risks associated with (the) Brazilian economy and (the) stagnant and competitive situation in (the) Brazilian beer and soft drink markets, Kirin has come to the conclusion that there are certain limitations in transforming Brasil Kirin into a sustainable and high-profitable business on its own,” it said in a statement.
Dutch brewer Heineken N.V. said it is in discussion with Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings to acquire the company’s unprofitable Brazilian business. The Nikkei Newspaper reported on Friday, a price of $870m, a fraction of the $3.9bn Kirin paid for the business.
An acquisition of Kirin’s lossmaking business in Brazil would give Heineken 19% market share in a country where it currently has only 7% share of the market to Kirin’s 12%. But more importantly, it would enable the Dutch brewer pose a stronger challenge to AB InBev, which dominates the market with 67% market share.
Japanese food and beverage firm, Suntory Holdings wants its obese employees to get into shape. The company has offered its employees a chance to go to a weight lose camp where they will learn how to eat and drink in moderation at social events and how to exercise.
Suntory’s personnel department said that the company has more ‘obese-leaning employees’ than a typical company. Therefore it has devised a means to improve the health of its employees.
Beam Suntory, the spirits arm of Suntory Holdings said that revenue for the first nine months of 2016 declined 3.5% to ¥711bn yen ($6.9bn), down from $7.1bn in 2015. The company blamed the lackluster sales on weak demand for its beer in Japan, which declined 1% year-on-year, despite an aggressive marketing push by the company to increase sales. Foreign exchange impact hurt its wine category, pushing sales down slightly.
Asahi Group Holdings, a Japanese brewer has offered to acquire SABMiller’s Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime brands, in a deal valued at $2.9bn.
AB InBev has been looking to dispose of the brands since taking over SABMiller, in a bid to address competition concerns European regulators may have about the merger.
A takeover bid of SABMiller’s two European brands appears to be brewing.
Asahi Group Holdings, Japan’s largest brewer, said on Tuesday that it was considering making a bid for Peroni and Grolsch brands, two of SABMiller’s prized European possessions.
The announcement sent Asahi’s shares tumbling by 2.4 per cent in early Tokyo Trading.
