Coke Takes Swig of Glacéau

Soft drink giant tries to boost its offerings with $4.1B VitaminWater buy
By J. Kelman,  Newser User
Posted May 25, 2007 9:12 AM CDT
Coke Takes Swig of Glacéau
Bottles of Vitaminwater line a convenience store shelf on Friday, May 25, 2007 in New York. The Coca-Cola Co., which has been looking to expand its water and energy drink portfolio, said Friday it has agreed to buy Vitaminwater maker Glaceau in a cash deal valued at $4.1 billion. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)   (Associated Press)

Coca-Cola is adding some fizz to its line of non-soda offerings, acquiring the maker of Glacéau VitaminWater today in its biggest purchase ever. The $4.1 billion purchase of Energy Brands will give Coke a strong foothold in the market for non-carbonated products and help it close the gap with archrival Pepsi.

Glacéau commands nearly one-third of the "enhanced" water market with its candy-colored VitaminWater and electrolyte-filled SmartWater. That makes it attractive to Coke, which has struggled to expand beyond the soda products that account for 80% of its sales. As soda loses market share, Coke has sought a product to help it stay current. One analyst said simply: "Coke needs Glacéau.'' (More Coca-Cola stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X