Coke hits £1bn during recession

Coca-Cola has broken the £1bn retail sales barrier in the UK, showing a strong performance during the recession.

Coca Cola Happiness advert
Coca Cola Happiness advert

It is the first time ever that the combined sales of the Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero brands have broken through the £1bn barrier.

The ’MyCoke’ portfolio which includes Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero showed a 4.7% year-on-year sales increase to £1.01bn.

Coke says it has a “strong emphasis on promoting optimism and happiness” which has seen the brands benefit despite the tough economic climate and falling consumer confidence.

Sanjay Guha, president of Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland, says: “These figures show that when times are tough, quality and trust matter even more to consumers – and how our optimistic Open Happiness campaign has struck a chord in tough times.”

He adds: “Coca-Cola has a long history. It has taught us that recessions, no matter how deep, do pass and it is crucial to keep investing both in marketing and to prepare for the recovery.”