Coronavirus bar and restaurant closures hit Britvic’s income for the year
Britvic posted a near 22% slide in adjusted operating income for the year as coronavirus restrictions hurt demand at bars, restaurants, cinemas and other public places.
The soft drink company’s adjusted earnings before interest and taxes fell to £165.8m for the 12 months ended September 30, down from £214.1m a year earlier.
Britvic’s shares, which have dropped 10.4% so far this year, were unchanged at Thursday’s market open.
Britvic’s brands include Tango, J20, Fruit Shoot and Teisseire.
Chief executive Simon Litherland said: “Our determined and dedicated people, portfolio of trusted brands, strong commercial relationships and operational agility mean we have performed strongly where we have been able to compete.
“We also continue to navigate the changing landscape successfully. So, even though out-of-home trading has inevitably been impacted, we have continued to gain market share in our key growth markets of GB and Brazil, and we have successfully protected cash and our overall financial strength.
Britvic’s results come as a stark contrast to that of Coca-Cola Co, which in October posted stellar quarterly results and said consumers were buying more sparkling soft drinks and juices from grocery stores and online.