Romania was one of declining markets for Coca-Cola HBC, the second largest Coca-Cola bottling company outside the U.S., in the second quarter of this year.

Coca-Cola also recorded lower sales in Poland, Czech Republic and Italy, as well as Ukraine and Russia, which were affected by the geopolitical tensions. Coca-Cola HBC operates in a total of 28 countries, serving more than 560 million consumers. Coca-Cola Romania is the largest player on the Romanian soft drinks market.

"Volume declined in the quarter at a slower pace than in Q1 as a result of the overall improvement in Established and Developing markets and Nigeria’s return to growth; Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Romania and Russia drove the decline compared to the prior-year period," according to Coca-Cola Hellenic's latest report.

The company reported that volumes in Romania declined by 10% in the second quarter and by 'high single digits' in the first six months. "Performance continues to be negatively affected by the difficult trading environment and competitive promotional pressures," according to Coca - Cola HBC.

The full financial report (in pdf, in English) is here. 

Romania brings lower than average volume growth for Coca Cola, but still third largest emerging market

editor@romania-insider.com 

(photo source: Coca-Cola HBC)