Soft-drink sales down

Press, 22 February 1980, Page 1

Soft-drink sales down

Soft-drink makers are alarmed about the decline in sales since the Government imposed a 20 per cent sales tax last May. Mr R. Nickless, the marketing manager of Southern Bottlers, which make, Coca-Cola, Leed lemonade. Fanta, and the ran -e of Ballins. softdrinks, said that early fig.

ures showed that sales throughout New Zealand by all makers had fallen by 15 per cent. The makers eagerly await figures for the December quarter last year to see if the early trend continued over the usually busy Christmas holidays. The industry will make representations to the Government. probably

next month, abouf the sales tax. The tax was “crucifying” the industry, said the general manager of. CocaCola Bottlers (Wellington), Ltd (Mr R. S. Pottinger). He was commenting bn the proposed closing. of the Masterton plant ,of Ballins next April, and the take-over of the production and distribution of ! its products by Coca-Cola in

the southern part of the North Island. Mr Pottinger said softdrink companies had been disappearing “at an alarming rate over the last five years, while national soft-drink consumption had declined markedly over the last three years..., . “I: think .people don’t E..ye that much discretionary spending power left now.” he said?