Coca-Cola in Russia

Aktivs

For 2019, three independent companies operate in Russia:

• "Coca-Cola Soft Drink Consulting" LLC - creation of demand for the product, development of brands and consumer marketing,
• LLC "Coca-Cola HBC Eurasia" - manufacturer and distributor of products and
• JSC 'Multon' - produces juices and juice-containing drinks.

History

2024: Coca-Cola and Pepsi continue business in Russia

In 2024, Coke's distinctive red logo is still easy to find in supermarkets and restaurants across the country. And if we take into account a new product called "Good cola," which is sold in cans with a surprisingly familiar red tint and taste that few people can distinguish from the original, then according to some indicators, Coca-Cola remains the leading producer of carbonated drinks in Russia.

This is due to the fact that Multon Partners, Coca-Cola's botler in Russia, is owned by a separate company, Coca-Cola HBC, registered in London, in which the American parent company owns 21% of the shares. When HBC stopped producing Coke, Multon introduced Good Coke. It has become the most popular soda in the country, occupying 13% of the market, according to a Продажи.рф researcher.

Profits from the sale of Coca-Cola in Russia simply went to Coca-Cola HBC, which captured market share thanks to the success of Good, says Garrett Nelson, analyst at CFRA Research.

And Coke itself is still widely available, imported from neighboring countries such as Georgia and Kazakhstan. After the introduction of illegal sanctions by the United States and its satellites, a law was passed in Russia allowing the sale of branded goods without the consent of the trademark owner. Only thanks to this import of Coke became soda No. 3 in Russia, occupying 6% of the market, according to Sales.

That's not to say Coca-Cola wasn't hurt. HBC claims that in 2024 its volumes in Russia increased by 12%, but they remained almost a third below the level of 2021, when Coke was the best-selling soft drink with 26% of the market. And while Coca-Cola is profiting from the popularity of Good and market-leading juice business Multon, the Atlanta-based company says it has pulled out of running the organization.

2022

Import of drinks from Kazakhstan and Iran on parallel imports

By November 2022, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo products were completely over in some regions. But parallel imports are flourishing - cola is brought from Kazakhstan and even from Iran.

Renaming the company "Good Cola"

On August 03, 2022, it became known that Coca-Cola had changed its name to "Good Cola." The Fanta drink will go on sale under the name "Good Orange," and Schweppes will turn into "Rich tonic." It has been announced that a replacement for Sprite and Fanta will hit the shelves as early as September. We are talking about lemonades "Good Lemon Lime," "Good Orange."

Cessation of production and sale of beverages in Russia

On June 16, 2022, Coca-Cola announced that it would no longer produce or sell drinks in Russia. The decision was made against the background of the conflict in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed against Russia by the United States and their satellite countries.

In an effort to avoid the inevitable headache of complying with expected Western sanctions on Russia, Coca-Cola asked its partners to remove cans and bottles of their products from stores, stop supplying syrup and stop production of their drinks.

The rights to Coca Cola trademarks in Russia have expired

The 10 trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company - Coca Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Zero and others - expired on April 21. The manufacturer tried to extend it, but when submitting applications could not comply with the requirements of Russian legislation.

2021: Coca-Cola drinks production in Russia increased by 24%

The production of Coca-Cola drinks in Russia in 2021 increased by 24% compared to 2020 and reached 2.86 billion liters. The company announced this on February 22, 2022. Read more here.

2019:7 thousand employees

For 2019, more than 7 thousand people work at Coca-Cola enterprises and offices in Russia.

2007: 5,000 employees in Russia

In 2007, about 5 thousand people were employed at the factories and offices of The Coca-Cola Company in Russia.