FRANCE: Drinks bubble at Danone

By just-drinks.com editorial team | 3 August 2006

Drinks were the top performer during the first-half of the year at Groupe Danone, which has seen its "best-ever" leap in six-month sales.

The French giant, whose drinks brands include Volvic and Evian waters, saw sales hit EUR7.2bn (US$9.3bn) in the period to 30 June. Operating profit leapt 13.4% to EUR972m.

Danone's drinks division outperformed its other buoyant businesses with sales growth of 12.1%. Franck Riboud, Danone's chairman and CEO, said: "Key to this success has been our geographic expansion and new frontiers approach, the fast roll out of our brands delivering health benefits and our constant commitment to innovate."

He added that Danone was "confident" that sales grow at a "similar rate" during the rest of the year.

The company said the healthy results were due to "improved momentum in French activities and from continuing robust growth in Asia, North and South America and Eastern Europe."

Sectors: Water

Companies: Danone, Evian