Three-litre bottles of Coke boost Coca-Cola Icecek volumes

The soft drinks arm of Anadolu Efes, Coca-Cola Icecek, has reported a strong rise in soft drinks sales by volume for 2010.

Volume sales increased by 13.5% for the 12 months to the end of December, to 665.4m cases, Coca-Cola Icecek (CCI) said today (13 January). Momentum was particularly strong in the fourth quarter, which saw volumes increase by 18.5% on the previous year, to 130.2m cases, the Turkey-based group said.

"All categories delivered double-digit growth rates in 2010," said CCI, which bottles drinks for The Coca-Cola Co in Turkey and several markets across Asia. The company picked out bottled water sales in Turkey, Central Asia and Pakistan as a key growth driver in 2010.

It also highlighted improved demand for carbonated drinks, which make up nearly three quarters of group volumes. "Throughout the year, growth in our sparkling business gained momentum in each quarter, and the sparkling category posted over 10% growth year-on-year in 2010," it said.

Special three-litre bottles of Coca-Cola proved a particular hit during Ramadan, the group added. It has not yet released net sales or profits for 2010.

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