NEW DELHI: Coca-Cola may stop selling soft drinks in glass bottles as they have become more expensive to produce compared to plastic bottles and cumbersome for most consumers to carry.
The company is sampling Rs 10-12 small plastic bottles in Maharashtra, said people familiar with the development, and it may withdraw reusable glass bottles from most regional markets in the next three to four years.
In its biggest market, the US, co*ke stopped selling its iconic 6.5 oz (192 ml) glass bottles in 2012 due to similar reasons.
“Each of our packages play a role in our OBPPC (occasion, brand, price, pack and channel) plans. Returnable glass bottles are a big part of this plan and serves as a recruitment pack,” said a Coca-Cola India spokesperson.
“So, doing away with glass bottles is not a possibility. As a part of providing choice, we are launching several single-serve packs this season -Tetra Pak, 250 ml juice PET and the 300 ml sparkling PET."
Recently, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, the largest beverage makers in the country, have come under threat from small local players, who have managed to wrest away around 10% market share from the Rs 14,000 crore aerated drinks industry.
“At least 20 new players including Delhi-based Xalta, Alwar-based Jayanti Beverages and Bareilly's Boss Beverages have been nibbling away at the biggies' market shares with cheaper products packaged in small plastic bottles,” said a soft drink bottler.
Even packaged water maker Bisleri entered the segment this year with four fizzy beverages priced at Rs 10. “Glass bottles are a nuisance for a beverage maker,” said Ramesh Chauhan, founder of Bisleri.
“First, you have to sell them many times to recover cost of the bottle. Secondly, their cleaning process is a big headache. Add to that their weight that increases logistics cost.”
