Britvic sales have weathered the current economic climate.

Leading soft drink manufacturer Britvic has published its 2009 Britvic Soft Drinks report, which has revealed UK sales in 2008 were strong despite the recession and poor summer weather.

Sales were down just 1% in value and 2% in volume, with a 2008 total of £8.4 billion. The best-selling soft drinks of the year were energy and sports drinks, which also saw the fastest growth. Among the successful brands were Tropicana, Pepsi and Robinsons.

However, Britvic smoothie sales declined dramatically in 2008. After several years of performing well, smoothie sales experienced a huge 15% drop in value. Plain water sales also suffered, possibly a result of the poor summer, with sales down 9% in value.

Paul Moody, Britvic Chief Executive and President of the British Soft Drinks Association, said: “Soft drinks continue to be a staple purchase on which consumers are reluctant to compromise. In the downturn so far, it’s the big brands and traditionally popular sub-categories like cola, squash and juice drinks that consumers seem particularly unwilling to do without.

“With another tough year in prospect, the challenge for the industry is to keep delivering the combination of value and quality that consumers expect, and to stay alert to every shift in their daily purchasing decisions.”

In pubs and bars, soft drinks outperformed alcoholic drink sales at £2.3bn, with Coca-Cola remaining the top-selling brand.

Britvic has more soft drink brands in its portfolio than any other UK manufacturer. These brands include J2O, Purdey’s, 7UP and R Whites. It has main offices in Chelmsford and Solihull, and employs approximately 2,700 people.

To read the full 2009 Britvic Soft Drinks report, based on independent data from Nielson, visit: www.softdrinksreport.com