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Tag: coca-cola

  • Costa Coffee exits Singapore after closing last store

    Costa Coffee exits Singapore after closing last store

    Just days after Costa Coffee announced it was to be bought by Coca-Cola, UK cafe chain Costa Coffee has confirmed it is exiting Singapore.

    During the last 13 weeks Costa Coffee Singapore has closed six stores in the city and its two remaining outlets will close imminently: Holland Village (September 7) and VivoCity on Sunday week.

    Costa Coffee launched in Singapore in 2012, and has a presence in other Asian markets including Cambodia and Vietnam (where it has one store at Danang Airport).

    A spokesman for Costa Coffee Singapore said: “We are committed to remaining within the South-east Asia region and have ambitious plans to grow the Costa brand.” He said the decision to exit Singapore was made early this year.

    An unnamed employee of Costa Coffee Singapore said that high rents were behind the decision to close the stores,

    However, Esther Ho, director of the School of Business Management at Nanyang Polytechnic, said international coffee chains were struggling in Singapore because they were not focused enough on “experiences” that helped to justify premium prices.

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  • Coca-Cola enters ‘health & wellness’ space in India

    Coca-Cola enters ‘health & wellness’ space in India

    Taking another step towards its commitment to provide an array of healthy and nutritious beverage choices to consumers, Coca-Cola India expanded its portfolio of Minute Maid by launching Minute Maid Smoothie, a delicious snack that combines the ‘Power of 3’ ingredients – Fruits, Milk and Nutrients.

    The launch is a continuation of Coca-Cola India’s efforts to expand its portfolio including, ‘Health and Wellness’. This is a significant addition in Minute Maid fraternity and underlines company’s commitment towards the Fruit Circular Economy initiative.

    Made from locally sourced fruits, the product has been designed to suit the Indian palate and cater to the increasing needs of mothers looking for a combination of nutritious goodness and taste. Minute Maid Smoothie is available in Mango & Banana variants, priced at Rs 30 for 250ml.

    “Minute Maid Smoothie is an ideal choice for mothers looking for a snack that is tasty, filling and nutritious. We specifically developed this product after listening to mothers and understanding their needs. Children are picky eaters and are always look for something tasty, mothers often find it tough to balance between nutrition and taste. MM Smoothie contains real mango juice that gives it a great taste kids love, puree of banana which makes it filling, goodness of whole milk that mothers trust and topped up with nutrients such as Vitamin B3, B6, Vitamin E, Zinc and Calcium that play a key role in metabolism and building strength and stamina” said, Vijay Parasuraman, Vice President, Coca-Cola India & South West Asia.

    In the first phase of the launch, the product will be available in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, followed by other states. In the coming months, Coca-Cola India will also expand the Smoothie range by introducing other popular flavours.

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  • The Coca-Cola Company to acquire Costa

    The Coca-Cola Company to acquire Costa

    The Coca-Cola Company has announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Costa Limited, which was founded in London in 1971 and has grown to become a major coffee brand across the world.

    The acquisition of Costa from parent company Whitbread PLC is valued at US$ 5.1 billion and will give Coca-Cola a strong coffee platform across parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, with the opportunity for additional expansion. Costa operations include a leading brand, nearly 4,000 retail outlets with highly trained baristas, a coffee vending operation, for-home coffee formats and Costa’s state-of-the-art roastery.

    For Coca-Cola, the expected acquisition adds a scalable coffee platform with critical know-how and expertise in a fast-growing, on-trend category. Costa ranks as the leading coffee company in the United Kingdom and has a growing footprint in China, among other markets. Costa has a solid presence with Costa Express, which offers barista-quality coffee in a variety of on-the-go locations, including gas stations, movie theaters and travel hubs. Costa, in various formats, has the potential for further expansion with customers across the Coca-Cola system.

    The acquisition will expand the existing Coca-Cola coffee lineup by adding another leading brand and platform. The portfolio already includes the market-leading Georgia brand in Japan, plus coffee products in many other countries.

    Costa also provides Coca-Cola with strong expertise across the coffee supply chain, including sourcing, vending and distribution. This will be a complement to existing capabilities within the Coca-Cola system.

    “Costa gives Coca-Cola new capabilities and expertise in coffee, and our system can create opportunities to grow the Costa brand worldwide,” said James Quincey, President and CEO, Coca-Cola.

    Quincey added, “Hot beverages is one of the few segments of the total beverage landscape where Coca-Cola does not have a global brand. Costa gives us access to this market with a strong coffee platform.”

    Coffee is a significant and growing segment of the global beverage business. Worldwide, coffee remains a largely fragmented market, and no single company operates across all formats on a global basis.

    “The Costa team and I are extremely excited to be joining The Coca-Cola Company,” said Dominic Paul, Managing Director, Costa.

    Paul added, “Costa is a fantastic business with committed and passionate associates, a great track record and enormous global potential. Being part of the Coca-Cola system will enable us to grow the business farther and faster. I would like to say a huge thank you to our customers and to everyone in the Costa team who have helped us build the business to this position, and I look forward to the next exciting chapter in Costa’s vision of Inspiring the World to Love Great Coffee.”

    Transaction details

    The purchase price is £3.9 billion. This translates to approximately US$ 5.1 billion. Upon the closing, The Coca-Cola Company will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Costa Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Whitbread. This subsidiary contains all of the existing operating businesses of Costa.

    Whitbread will be seeking shareholder approval for the transaction, which is expected to take place by mid-October. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust approvals in the European Union and China. It is expected to close in the first half of 2019.

    Coca-Cola expects the transaction to be slightly accretive in the first full year, not taking into account any impact from purchase accounting. For the fiscal year 2018 (ending March 1, 2018), Costa generated revenue and EBITDA of £1.3 billion and £238 million GBP, respectively. This equates to roughly $1.7 billion in revenue and US$ 312 million in EBITDA.

    Because Coca-Cola expects the transaction to close in the first half of 2019, there is no change to 2018 guidance. The company’s long-term targets also remain unchanged. Coca-Cola will provide additional information as part of comprehensive guidance provided during the fourth quarter 2018 earnings call.

    Advisers

    Rothschild acted as exclusive financial adviser to The Coca-Cola Company. Clifford Chance acted as legal counsel to The Coca-Cola Company, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom acted as tax counsel to The Coca-Cola Company.

  • Coca-Cola India announces changes to its leadership team

    Coca-Cola India announces changes to its leadership team

    Coca-Cola India, a leading beverage company that offers a range of beverage choices to consumers, announced changes to its leadership structure. The new structure is designed to enable the India and South West Asia business to be a growth engine for The Coca-Cola Company by capitalizing on emerging opportunities while continuing to build on talent development.

    Announcing the change, T. Krishnakumar, President, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia said, “We believe there are significant opportunities that lie ahead of us to grow our portfolio and meaningfully penetrate the market. These changes will address developing business needs and pave the way to develop a stronger portfolio for the future. It also reinforces our commitment towards investing in talent development.”

    To lead this change, Sundeep Bajoria, a veteran of the Coca-Cola system has taken over as Vice-President – South West Asia (SWA) Operations from his earlier role of Vice President Strategy and Insights. With the growing significance of expanding our regional footprint, he now spearheads the South West Asia region and will work towards making it an innovation and growth engine for the India & South West Asia business and the Coca-Cola system.

    Bajoria brings a successful track record of over 20 years within and outside the Coca-Cola system in Strategy, Finance, revenue growth management, Capital projects, and People & capability development. He is a 14 year veteran of the Coca-Cola system having worked in multiple roles in different Group businesses and Bottling Investment Groups.

    Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan has been appointed to the position of Vice President – Strategy & Insights, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia. Chandrasekar will take charge of the strategic initiatives for the company to accelerate the pace of innovation and assess opportunities to offer a much broader and deeper portfolio of beverages for the consumers.

    With a career spanning over two decades, Radhakrishnan comes with a combination of international and domestic experience. He joins Coca-Cola India from Nestlé, where he was responsible for leading a worldwide initiative to optimize marketing efficiencies. As the Head of Consumer Communication and eCommerce, he has effectively embedded brand building capabilities in the organization, drove creative excellence in brand communication via strong internal and external partnerships, laid a strong foundation in building digital and eCommerce competencies and played a key role in establishing consumer engagement. He has contributed significantly to the cause-based campaigns of the company thereby making a positive impact on the society. He has also worked with Britannia, Marico and Airtel and has played a variety of roles across sales, marketing and business functions.

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  • Who’s who of retail CEOs at Consumer Goods Forum

    Who’s who of retail CEOs at Consumer Goods Forum

    Next month’s Consumer Goods Forum to be held at the Marina Bay Sands will feature a ‘who’s who’ of international retail leaders.

    This year marks the first time in a decade the event is being held in Asia. Running from June 12-15, it is themed Consumer Centricity in a Data-Driven World.

    Industry leaders including Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang, Dairy Farm International CEO Ian McLeod, Coca-Cola Company CEO James Quincey, Majid Al Futtaim Holding CEO Alain Bejjani, Ahold Delhaize CEO Dick Boer, JD international president Winston Cheng, Central Retail CEO Nicolo Galante, Carrefour China president and CEO Thierry Garnier and Metro AG CEO and chairman Olaf Koch are all on the speaking roster.

    Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will deliver a keynote address.

    Consumer Goods Forum MD Peter Freedman says the summit is often described as the most important leadership event on the consumer goods industry’s calendar.

    “The key focus of this year’s conference will be on how to ensure that we continue to keep consumers at the centre of the digital transformation in our industry. In that context we will also be discussing how we can accelerate our work on global positive change, which millennials and younger consumers are so concerned to see. We are delighted to be holding the event in Singapore, one of the world’s leading smart cities, with some of the most digitally sophisticated consumers, and geographically close to so many Asian digital innovations.”

    More than 1000 delegates, from more than 400 leading retailers and consumer goods companies will engage with this year’s theme through sessions focused on stories such as:

    • Investing in the age of disruption;
    • Evolving retail for the smart consumer;
    • The future of work: people & technology;
    • Positive change in action: driving a circular economy;
    • New Retail: creating new value for consumers;
    • Global millennials: the data-driven facts;
    • Executing a digital and omni-channel growth strategy; and
    • Transforming customer experiences through big data.
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  • The Face Shop X Coca Cola has been launched

    The Face Shop X Coca Cola has been launched

    Korean makeup brand The Face Shop has launched a range of Coca Cola cosmetics in an unusual collaboration with the US soft drink brand.

    The makeup range includes cushion compact, powder pact, five cream lip tints, five lipsticks, three gel lip tints, and an eyeshadow palette – all in Coca Cola pattern packages.

    Not only are they sold to look a little like Coke products… they even smell like Coca Cola.

    The Face Shop says the lip tints and lipsticks really do have a scent similar to “the real thing”…

    The lip tint packaging also features a cute polar bear image on the cap.

    The Coca Cola cosmetics collection by The Face Shop is sold online and at retail chains in Korea.

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  • Coca-Cola Amatil-owned fruit brand SPC to enter China market in 4500 stores

    Coca-Cola Amatil-owned fruit brand SPC to enter China market in 4500 stores

    Managing director Reg Weine said that its premium Goulburn Valley 700g fruit range, SPC snack cups and pouch ranges, and IXL jam would be the first products to enter stores.

    SPC’s snack cups are already available on online retailer JD.com and Weine said the full range of SPC, Goulburn Valley and IXL products will progressively be available across major online and offline retailers in China.

    In end-January, SPC finalised an agreement with China State Farm Agribusiness (CSFA) Shanghai to export SPC, Goulburn Valley and IXL lines of processed fruit products to China.

    CSFA Shanghai, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China National Agriculture Development Group Corporation — one of China’s largest agribusiness conglomerates — will be “master distributor” of SPC’s brands and product lines in China.

    “It takes significant time and resources to build brands in overseas markets, which is why we are partnering with China’s leading agricultural firm. Their enviable track record of successfully bringing premium foreign brands to China is very attractive to us,”​ said Weine

    Marketing to middle class​

    He added that CSFA Shanghai had the dedicated personnel and sales and marketing support that SPC needed to build its brands, as well as the distribution capability to reach China’s burgeoning middle class.

    At the signing ceremony, he said, “It’s about taking our market-leading brands into markets where provenance plays a part and there is a large enough consumer segment that is affluent and willing to pay a premium for Australian produce.”​

    To this end, they have engaged Chinese singer and actress Ye Yiqian, who as a “deep connection with aspirational Chinese consumers”​ to be brand ambassador.

    Extensive distribution ​

    Weine confirmed that the exported fruit products will be available in over 4,500 premium retail and mother and baby stores, which he said will provide a considerable market for the company’s products.

    “We will have a strong presence in bricks-and-mortar retailing ​— including Alibaba’s HEMA retail outlets, Ole supermarkets and mother and baby chain Kidswant,”​ he said.

    Initially, they will be in China’s tier one cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Tianjin, and later will include Shenzhen and Chongqing.

    The products will also be carried by leading e-commerce platforms such as such as JD.com, Kaola, and Alibaba’s T-Mall.

    Asian expansion​

    Said Weine, “This hopefully will only be the beginning of our relationship with Chinese consumers.”​

    He emphasised that China represents a significant business opportunity for SPC in the years ahead, with its processed fruit market five times that of Australia.

    Among further plans for expansion, Weine said SPC’s ProVital, functional and fortified fruit products in accessible packaging, will also appeal to China’s ageing population.

    In the vast Asia Pacific region, aside from China, SPC already exports to Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Pacific islands and the Middle East.

    In February, SPC will also be launching its Perfect Fruit frozen fruit whip dessert in India and, shortly after, to Japan as well.

    Coca-Cola Amatil-owned SPC is the largest producer of premium packaged fruit and vegetables in Australia, processing about 150,000 tonnes of fruit a year. Its products include processed and packed fruit, vegetables, spreads and jams, prepared meals, snack foods, sauces and condiments.

    CSFA Shanghai already has established business relationships with several Australian companies including A2 Milk and Stanbroke Premium Beef. The company will organise staff and carry out sales and marketing to build SPC’s product brands in China.

  • Coca-Cola brings back the Clay Dolls for Chinese New Year

    Coca-Cola brings back the Clay Dolls for Chinese New Year

    Coca-Cola China has once again revived its festive ‘Clay Doll’ figures to help promote Chinese New Year festivities.

    The commercial from McCann Shanghai features “evolved and refreshed” versions of the animated dolls, which first appeared in Coca-Cola festive campaigns in 2001.

    Modelled on Chinese traditional folk dolls, the brand usually depicts the pair as gleefully trying to find ways to help bring loved-ones together at holiday time.

    For the 2018 campaign, the Clay Dolls are shown causing mischief around a family dinner table in order to create moments of closeness.

    The full campaign will see the dolls depicted on Coca-Cola packaging, while the ad will be shown on TV, in-store, on OOH, cinema and digital channels.

    The campaign also continues the use of virtual Red Packets, which Coca-Cola launched on the Alipay platform last year, where consumers click to win real money – with amounts ranging from 0.1 to 99 RMB.

    “We’ve found our Chinese audience to be strongly empathetic towards these characters and their cultural significance for Chinese New Year, having been associated with CocaCola for nearly 17 years”, said Richard Cotton, head of creative excellence and content, Coca-Cola China.

    “They are Chinese New Year’s mischievous secret helpers and their characters reflect the spirit of the celebration, which is joyful and exuberant.”

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  • Coca-Cola is yet to crack the code in Indian market

    Coca-Cola is yet to crack the code in Indian market

    Coca-Cola, the world’s largest beverage company, has not been able to crack a section of the Indian market even with brands such as Sprite, Maaza and Thums Up.

    India is “a different story,” John Murphy, President of the Asia Pacific Group of Coca-Cola, said at the company’s investor’s day conference in Atlanta, referring to a market of almost 300 million people in the bottom half of the pyramid in India that is yet to take to the global soft drink brands.

    “We have tried so many times in my time in the Coca-Cola system to crack the code there and we haven’t done it. We have got a team of pretty smart people who want to have the legacy to be the first to do so,” he said. India is the US giant’s sixth largest market and Coca-Cola is the country’s leading beverage maker.

    “In India we have leader brands, but we have an industry that is very underdeveloped,” Murphy said at the conference on November 16, adding that in China, Coca-Cola has a value share of an industry that is actually quite huge.

    He said Sprite, Maaza and Thums Up have tremendous equity in India and the company’s job is to leverage those brands to help grow the industry.

    “We’re excited with the work we have under way to do that. In addition, we have a couple of other categories that we believe have tremendous room for growth as we go forward and the good news is there are not too many there yet who have cracked the code on leadership in those categories,” Murphy said.

    Sales growth for soft drinks in India has tapered as urban consumers opt for low-sugar beverages and rural buyers cut discretionary spending. Smaller regional brands that are cheaper are getting popular, hurting the prospects of global beverage companies including Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

    Addressing investors and company executives across the world, including global president James Quincey, Murphy said the beverage maker had, over the past three years, launched over 500 products in Asia-Pacific.

    The runway for growth across Asia-Pacific is significant, given that 52% of the world’s population lives in the region, he said.

    “The beverage landscape in Asia-Pacific is very different today than you have seen in other parts of the world. Seven out of every 10 beverages consumed in Asia-Pacific are non-commercial,” he said.

    Asian consumers have something in common — whether they are in Japan, India or China.

    “Home rituals are important, hence the prevalence of self-home beauty, homemade juices. They love a lot of stuff, sweet, unsweet, hot, cold, gooey, un-gooey — you name it. They are very trend conscious increasingly in today’s environment and those trends are influencing the repertoire of beverages that they are trying and they love to try,” Murphy said.

    Mentioning the launch of mosambi juice under its Minute Maid franchise, Murphy said marrying a local desired fruit to a global brand creates value. The move to localise to the last mile with ethnic flavours and leveraging local fruit-based beverages is aimed at fighting back the onslaught of regional brands.

    Recent examples include ethnic flavours in carbonated soft drinks such as jeera drink RimZim and grape-flavoured Portello.

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  • Lazada opens Coca-Cola, Nestle, Redmart shop-in-shops

    Lazada opens Coca-Cola, Nestle, Redmart shop-in-shops

    Lazada Singapore has unveiled three new shops on its online marketplace, in a bid to bolster its e-tail offering and win consumers during its ‘birthday sale’.

    Lazada has launched ‘shop-in-shops’ for international heavyweights Coca-Cola, Nestle and Redmart, each of which allows the brands to keep their identity across online and offline channels, while giving shoppers a way to connect with them.

    Earlier this year, Lazada acquired RedMart, marking their move into the grocery category, specifically fresh and frozen products. The new addition will also see Singapore shoppers gain access grocery products from RedMart directly via Lazada Singapore, the first step towards a larger partnership between the two companies.

    “We are excited about working together with Lazada Singapore, especially at a time that marks their third year serving shoppers in the country. RedMart will be offering exclusive promotions on everything from Extra Virgin Olive Oil to Sauvignon Blanc, as special deals just for shoppers celebrating Lazada’s birthday,” said Penny Cox, VP Commercial and Marketing at RedMart.

    Both Coca Cola and Nestle will also stock a select range of food and beverages via Lazada Singapore.

    In the lead up to its third birthday and sale, the marketplace has also launched official shop-in-shops for bookstore MPH, SK Jewellery, Chow Tai Fook, South Korean and Mamonde, as well as fashion labels Esprit, Doc Martens and Bonia.

    “Setting up shop-in-shops in time for our birthday sale has really been part of a larger step towards bridging shoppers in Singapore with the brands they know and love. This, combined with a consistent free delivery and 14 days free returns policy, give shoppers best of everything — ease along with great deals and the widest range of products to choose from, be it electronics or groceries,” said Alexis Lanternier, CEO, Lazada Singapore.

    The Lazada birthday sale kicks of March 21 to 23 and will see discounts of up to 90% across its entire platform.

    Launched in 2012, as a part of Lazada Group, Lazada Singapore currently hosts over 300 official brand stores. Lazada also has an e-commerce presence in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

  • Coca-Cola to restructure company and cut costs

    Coca-Cola to restructure company and cut costs

    Coca-Cola’s sales declined in the first quarter as it restructured its business, and the world’s biggest beverage maker said it will cut 1,200 jobs starting later this year as it deepens its cost-cutting.

    The maker of Fanta, Sprite and Smartwater said the job cuts will come from its corporate staff around the world. That would represent about a 22-per-cent reduction of its corporate staff of about 5,500, or a 1-per-cent reduction in its total workforce of 100,300 employees, according to FactSet.

    Coca-Cola Co. said the cuts would help it find another $800 million (U.S.) in annualized savings, in addition to the $3 billion the company previously said it is trimming. Most those savings are expected to be realized in 2018 and 2019, it said.

    The cuts are part of a comprehensive review and won’t be concentrated in any one place, the company said.

    The company has also been reshaping its business by selling back its bottling and distribution operations to independent bottlers. That means Coke is becoming more focused on selling concentrates to bottlers and marketing for its brands as its No. 2 executive, James Quincey, prepares to officially take over as CEO next week.

    Quincey has said he plans to focus on making Coke a “total beverage company,” meaning it will more aggressively seek growth in promising drinks other than soda to better reflect changing tastes. The efforts have included putting more marketing behind options like Smartwater, including a carbonated variety of the bottled water.

    When excluding the impact of refranchising, a negative impact from foreign currency exchanges and other structural changes, Coke said its revenue was flat.

    On a global basis, the Atlanta-based company said total sales volume was flat. That reflected a 1-per-cent decline in sodas, and a 3-per-cent increase for the category including water, enhanced water and sports drinks. Volume rose 2 per cent in the category including tea and coffee.

    For the first three months of the year, the company earned $1.18 billion, or 27 cents per share. Excluding one-time gains and costs, it said it earned 43 cents per share, a penny less than analysts expected, according to Zacks Investment Research.

    Total revenue was $9.12 billion in the period, topping analyst forecasts for $8.96 billion.

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  • Coca-Cola Amatil plans to add two new production lines at its Indonesian facility

    Coca-Cola Amatil plans to add two new production lines at its Indonesian facility

    Coca-Cola Amatil is planning to deploy two new production lines at its Cikekodan Plant in Bekasi, West Java in Indonesia. The expansion of the Cikekodan plant marks the first of the major investments being made by the company in Indonesia.

    Coca-Cola plans to invest around $500m in the country to accelerate growth in the next three to four years.

    Coca-Cola is also planning to invest $63m in the construction of a new distribution center in Surabaya, Indonesia, making it the fourth mega distribution center operated by the subsidiary of Australian-based Coca-Cola Amatil.

    Coca-Cola Company chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent said: “We consider Indonesia a dynamic and promising market and one of the growth engines to achieve our long-term vision.

    “Our company’s US $500 million investment reaffirms our belief in Indonesia and will help us capture the growth opportunity in one of the largest and most dynamic countries in the world as we enable our system to be even more responsive to consumer and customer needs.

    “We believe by creating more jobs and where possible sourcing locally, we can promote the local economy and contribute to economic growth in Indonesia.”

    This latest investment is expected to have give a huge boost to local jobs, taking the Coca-Cola’s total direct and indirect employment in Indonesia from around 60,000 to a total of 135,000 within a span of three to four years.

    However, the investment is yet to receive Indonesian regulatory approval and also subject to CCA non-associated shareholder approval.

    In last October, Coca-Cola announced plans to set up a joint venture with Coca-Cola Amatil’s local Indonesia subsidiary to invest $500m for an equity ownership interest of 29.4%.

    The funding was invested into Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia (CCAI) operations in Indonesia to expand production, warehousing and cold-drink infrastructure.

    In the past three years, CCAI has commissioned 18 new production lines, installed 150,000 coolers and built three distribution centers to increase production capacity and build local capability with total investments of more than $300m.

    CCA group chairman David Gonski said: “These two new production lines commissioned today are an excellent example of how the US $500 million cash injection is being invested. Coca-Cola Amatil is committed to building a future hand-in-hand with our partners, customers and consumers in Indonesia.

    “The upcoming joint venture is an important step for us in accelerating our efforts to create a strong future for our communities and businesses in the areas in which we operate.”

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  • Korean grocery prices among world’s highest

    Korean grocery prices among world’s highest

    A recent report from a Korean consumer protection agency reveals that the prices of imported fruit, wine, beer and Starbucks coffee in Korea are much more expensive than in other countries.

    According to Consumers Korea, the domestic prices of imported grapes, wine, and domestic pork belly were among the highest levels in the world. The prices of groceries in the major cities of 13 countries were compared.

    The report indicated that 800 grams of American grapes cost 7009 won in Korea, which was twice as high as the price in the U.S. (4069 won), and wine was being sold for an average of 38,875 won, which was 71 per cent higher than the price of wine in the Netherlands (22,681 won), which has the fifth-highest wine prices in the world.

    The price for a kilogram of domestic pork belly (27,930 won) was almost twice as high as the comparable price in China (14,679 won), which was the second-highest among the 13 countries compared.

    The cost of coffee at Starbucks (Americano tall size), domestic beef sirloin (one kilogram, steak), imported sirloin (one kilogram, steak), bananas (Philippines, one bunch), American oranges (one), American grapefruit (one), Coca Cola (1.5l), Heineken (330ml), and Miller (355ml) in Korea were the second highest among the 13 countries compared.

    Of note, the price of Heineken in Korea (2016 won) was 2.9 times higher than the price in the Netherlands (729 won), and the price of Miller in Korea (2203 won) was 2.3 times higher than the price in the US. (960 won).

    Officials from Consumers Korea commented that among the 35 products compared across the 13 cities, the Korean grocery prices of 31 products ranked in the top five.

    “Prices of Korean agricultural products were expensive compared to prices in other countries. Since customs tariffs are being lowered due to different free trade agreements, regulations should be established so that the financial benefits of free trade can be passed on to consumers,” said the officials.

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  • Coca-Cola Tmall flagship opens

    Coca-Cola Tmall flagship opens

    Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most iconic beverage brands, is opening a flagship store on Alibaba Group’s Tmall online marketplace.

    The Coca-Cola Tmall store comes just in time for the Global Shopping Festival, the world’s biggest online sale, on November 11.

    Coca-Cola has designed special packaging for the 24-hour 11.11 festival and its shop, now in trial operation in preparation for an official launch in early November, is already pre-selling four-packs of Coke priced at RMB 29 yuan (US$4.60) containing bottles adorned with images of Tmall’s cat mascot or the 11.11 festival logo.

    The shop will soon sell other Coca-Cola brands including Sprite, Fanta and Minute Maid, as well as related merchandise like the beverage company’s classic polar bear dolls, according to Coca-Cola.

    Coke and Alibaba have also agreed to collaborate on branding, marketing, offline services and the launch of exclusive products, according to a Chinese language press release issued by Alibaba. The collaboration shows a commitment by both parties to “embrace change and adapt to e-retail,” said Henrique Braun, Coca-Cola president of greater China & Korea, noting that the internet “has gradually changed people’s lives and consumer behavior.”

    The addition of Coke to its roster of merchants and brands participating in the 11.11 festival is a coup for Alibaba. The company has emphasised this year’s shopping bonanza is meant to be a global event, with overseas and global retailers selling directly to Chinese consumers through Tmall and consumers all over the world buying goods on Alibaba’s AliExpress international marketplace.

    Alibaba expects more than 5000 international brands from 25 countries and regions to participate in festival this year.

    To whet shoppers’ appetites for the sale, Alibaba and Coca-Cola plan to give away five million bottles of 300ml Cokes. Starting from November 1, the bonus bevvies will be distributed randomly to consumers who order other merchandise through Tmall.

    • Original reporting by Alizila, an independent but Alibaba-funded news resource on Alibaba’s global activities.
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  • Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia and Quiksilver Continue to Preserve Bali’s Beach Ecosystems

    Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia and Quiksilver Continue to Preserve Bali’s Beach Ecosystems

    As one of the most popular destinations in the world, Bali represents Indonesia on the global scene. To contribute in keeping Bali’s beaches clean and safe, Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia and Quiksilver are holding Bali’s Big Eco Weekend 2015 from August 14-16, inviting local communities, the government, visitors and industry players of Bali to renew the commitment and take real action to tackle the waste problem in Bali.

    Bali’s Big Eco Weekend is an annual campaign of the regular Bali Beach Clean-Up, both initiated by Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia (CCAI) and Quiksilver as continuous efforts to bring more attention to Bali’s environmental state and drive more support for the Bali government’s program in creating a ‘Clean and Green Bali’.

    “We’ve invested in the programs since 2007 and it has been a very good collaboration between Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia, Quiksilver, the Bali government and local communities. While the regular beach cleaning has been contributing impact, through Bali’s Big Eco Weekend we are still calling for more support from everyone in Bali, including both the growing citizens and tourists,” says Kadir Gunduz, President Director of Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia.

    “At Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia, we believe that we have roles and responsibilities in helping to create a sustainable environment anywhere we operate. It’s about all of us making the right decisions and taking real actions. We are pleased with the strong support we are getting, especially today. We hope that the commitment will only grow stronger, so together we can continue to preserve our ecosystem,” Kadir adds.

    This year’s Bali’s Big Eco Weekend marks the 8th year of Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia’s and Quiksilver’s commitment to keeping Bali’s beaches clean & safe. Started in 2007, Bali Beach Clean Up (BBCU) empowers the local communities in Bali by hiring 78 local workers and providing them with regular training in waste management and clean environment awareness. As front-liners, BBCU workers run daily clean-up in 5 iconic beaches in Bali (Jimbaran, Legian, Kuta, Seminyak, Kedonganan) and maximize the clean-up facilities which include 3 surf rakes, 3 garbage trucks, 4 beach tractors, and at least 150 new bins per year. The total amount of waste collected through the program has reached more than 29 million kilograms as of July 2015.

    “We are glad that the collaboration in keeping Bali clean and safe has been going well for 8 years. This cements Quiksilver’s passion and involvement in promoting eco conservation to ensure that Bali’s beautiful beaches and waterways will stay clean and safe for many years to come,” says Paul Hutson, General Manager of Quiksilver South Pacific. “We have Quiksilver’s global athletes joining the Bali’s Big Eco Weekend this year, and everyone is excited to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day long weekend on the beaches of Jimbaran, Legian and Uluwatu.”

    Joining the thousands of visitors in rolling up their sleeves and collecting waste on Jimbaran Beach and Padma Beach Legian are Dadang Rizki Ratman, Directorate General for Tourism Destination Development, Ministry of Tourism; Rijaluzzaman, Head of Centre of Development Monitoring on Eco-region of Bali and Nusa Tenggara; Ketut Wija, Deputy Economic & Development of Bali Province; and Quiksilver global athletes, including world champions Mark Richards (4X World Champion), Tom Carroll (2X World Champion), Jake Paterson, Matt Hoy, Kelia Moniz (2X Longboarding World Champion), and Torah Bright (Olympic Gold Medallist).

    Appreciating the attendance, Alison Watkins, Managing Director of Coca-Cola Amatil Group, says the special effort to participate in this iconic weekend supports both Bali’s and Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia’s commitment to running business and growing together with communities in Bali.

    In 2010, Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia and Quiksilver built the Kuta Beach Sea Turtles Conservation (KBSTC) in a commitment to support a safe environment. Since then, the number of eggs collected has significantly increased from 1,947 eggs in 6 years (2002-2008), to 122,230 eggs in the next 6 years (2009-2015). The Bali’s Big Eco Weekend crowd today participated in releasing approximately 1,000 baby sea turtles back to the sea.

    The turtle release wrapped up a day of various eco activities including ROXY Challenge Run-Sup-Yoga, meet and greet with the ROXY surf team, Coke Kicks, lifeguard race, fun sea turtle release, CSR exhibition, Kecak dance performance, and the renowned beach clean-up. On Sunday, visitors are welcome to join the surfing legends in WSL Quiksilver Uluwatu Surf Challenge 2015, also part of the Bali’s Big Eco Weekend, proudly co-sponsored by Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia and Australian Embassy Jakarta.

    For more information about Bali’s Beach Clean Up program, download the latest Infographic at bbew.coca-colaamatil.co.id.

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