Eight out of ten households buying carbonated soft drinks

The market share of carbonated soft drinks remained stable in the market of cold beverages last year. According to data from GfK Hungária ConsumerScan, sales of light products were down to the level seen in 2006. Out of HUF 100 spent on cold beverages, HUF 30 is spent on carbonated soft drinks, while of 37 of the remainder is spent on mineral water. Fruit juice and ice tea account for 28 and 5 percent respectively. The percentage of households buying carbonated soft drinks was down somewhat, dropping to 78 percent in 2008, from 80 percent measured in 2007. The average quantity purchased by households was down to 107 litres from 112 a year before. Both brands and private labels showed a decrease in sales. The market share of private labels was around 25.6 percent. The cola flavour continued to account for over 50 percent of total sales. The average price of a litre of carbonated soft drink was up from HUF 86 in 2007 to HUF 94 in 2008.