Coca-Cola Achieves 2% Global Volume Growth For 2013
The Coca-Cola Company has reported worldwide volume growth of 2% for the full year and global value share gains in non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages with volume and value share gains in core sparkling and still beverages for the full year. Reported net revenues declined 2% to $46.85 billion for the full year and 4% for the fourth quarter. Excluding the impact of structural changes, comparable currency neutral net revenues grew 3% for the full year and 4% for the fourth quarter.
Reported operating income declined 5% to $10.23 billion for the full year and 4% for the fourth quarter. On an organic basis operating income grew 6% for the full year, in line with the group’s long-term growth target.
Chairman and chief executive Muhtar Kent comments: “2013 was marked by ongoing global macroeconomic challenges in many markets around the world. And while our business was not immune to these pressures leading to moderated global volume growth, we delivered sound financial results in line with our long-term profit targets and gained global value share in total nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages as well as global volume and value share in core sparkling and still beverages for the year.”
Muhtar Kent.
The company reported solid volume growth for the full year in certain developed markets, including Germany(+2%), the Northwest Europe and Nordics business unit (+1%) and Japan(+1%).
Worldwide sparkling beverage volume was up 1% for the year, led by brand Coca-Cola, and was even for the fourth quarter. Growth for the year was broad based across the sparkling portfolio, including Fanta and Sprite, enabling the company to capture global core sparkling volume share for the 8th consecutive year.
The US-based soft drinks giant is continuing to drive innovation in its portfolio, launching Coca-Cola Life, a naturally sweetened mid-calorie cola, in Argentina and Chile. It grew worldwide still beverage volume 5% for the full year and 6% for the fourth quarter, with growth across multiple beverage categories, including juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas, packaged water, sports drinks and energy drinks.
The Coca-Cola Company is expanding its previously announced productivity and reinvestment program to generate an incremental $1 billion in productivity by 2016 to drive increased media investments in its brands.
