Carbonated drinks still attractive for bottlers

The above average temperatures recorded last year in the most important season for producers of non-alcoholic drinks (the summer season), and the upward trend in consumption are bringing annual increases of 20-50% to players on the market. Bottlers still rely on the carbonated drinks segment, although the highest growth rates are currently being registered by non-carbonated drinks, drinks with a high fruit pulp content, and the ice tea segment. The carbonated drinks segment is still attractive for producers due to its size – at the end of 2006 it accounted for around 45% of the market, according to research company Canadean, cited by PepsiCo. Mineral water holds a similar share of the total volume of soft drinks (non-alcoholic drinks) in Romania. The carbonated soft drinks market could already be regarded as mature, a market that started to take shape 15 years ago, but could lose ground to the non-carbonated soft drinks market, which is seeing accelerated growth.