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The soft drinks industry has enjoyed record sales thanks to scorching hot and prolonged summer this year, say industry people.
Over the last one and a half years, sales of most of the beverage companies have come down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, said sellers.
Young generation and urban people are the prime buyers. Soft drinks are mostly sold at tourist spots and highway bus stations. People prefer half and quarter liter of bottles at those places.
Demand for carbonated drinks, juices, dairy beverages, lacchi and labang normally goes up from the beginning of summer.
Due to the changing environmental pattern summer sales have increased during the March and August period which contribute nearly 70 to 80 percent of the total annual sales to this industry, said Ashfaqur Rahman, Chief Marketing Officer, Meghna Group of Industries,
Most of the beverage manufacturers are not catering to their products as per the market demand this year compared to the last three years. Sales have increased by 35- 40 percent this year, he said.
Akij Food and Beverage, which manufactures Mojo, Frutika, Speed, Clemon and drinking water Spa said, “We are not meeting the demand of the retail buyers due to unavailability of our products,” said an official wishing anonymity.
Due to Covid-19 pandemic many companies are not producing the products as per their capacity which has created slight shortfall, retailers said.
This business mainly depends on people’s movement and hot temperature, said Arif Ahmed, proprietor of Arif Store in the Purana Paltan area.
Usually, people crave for soft drinks after taking fast food, heavy meal and when they feel extremely thirsty, said Md Kamruzzaman Kamal, Director (marketing) at PRAN-RFL Group.
Compared to the last three years our sales have increased by more than 35 percent this year though the growth of the industry is nearly 15-20 percent per year, he added.
According to the Bangladesh Beverage Manufacturers’ Association (BBMA), more than 100 small and large companies are producing various types of beverage products including carbonated soft drinks, flavored drinks and malt and power drinks for meeting local demand and export also.
Business potentiality
According to the industry insiders, the beverage industry has tremendous potential in Bangladesh as the shape of the country’s economy grows keeping pace with the increasing population.
Due to the global warming the summer has being prolonged and habit of eating outside has gradually increased expanding the beverage business, said Md Kamruzzaman Kamal, Director (Marketing) at PRAN-RFL Group.
The beverage market of the country has great potential and the market is being much bigger gradually. Given the demand many companies have invested in this sector said, Syed Alamgir, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Akij Ventures Limited.
The soft drinks market is getting bigger gradually across the country powered by a growing young population, increasing temperatures and a high rate of product innovation, said Ashfaqur Rahman, Chief Marketing Officer of the Meghna Group.
Every year shop, hotel, motel and mini shops are increasing where drinks are available thanks to the country’s transformation into a digitalized one.