DUIVEN, THE NETHERLANDS - Despite a harsh economic climate that brought about a dip in consumer confidence over the past year, Coca-Cola passed ?1 billion in cumulative retail sales in Great Britain for Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke, FoodIngredientsFirst.com reports, the first time that the combined sales of the three Coke brands have broken the ?1 billion barrier.
Total sales increased 4.7 percent for total retail sales of ?1.01 billion. The results suggest that despite poor a harsh economy, cash-strapped British consumers will seek out premium brands, the company said.
"We are delighted to have passed this milestone with an exceptional performance in very difficult trading conditions," said Sanjay Guha, president of Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland. "These figures show that when times are tough, quality and trust matter even more to consumers
The Great Britain results come as global sales for Coca-Cola have grown substantially in several other markets. In the last quarter, sales for Coke products increased 8 percent in Brazil, 20 percent in India and 29 percent in China.