Local producer fights for market

RIGA - In the Latvian soft-drinks market at the end of last year the CIDO food group shared the lead with Coca Cola, both having a 29 percent market share, the company announced last week.

CIDO entered the market in 1994 and since then has been one of the leading local producers of mineral water, kvass and juices. CIDO is leading the market in the juice segment (51 percent), kvass (30 percent) and mineral water (40 percent).

CIDO will be the first local producer in Latvia to introduce a new solution for the local market, extra large juice packages of 1.5 liters. Until now 1.5-liter juice packages were imported. The company claims that its new product will be very convenient especially for families because of its size and price.

The company's managers hope that the new product will account for up to 5 percent of the juice sold by the company. At the moment the packaging is produced in Poland, but if demand increases CIDO will create a production line in Latvia.

According to market research conducted by the polling firm AC Nielsen and packaging producer Tetra-Pak, juices, nectars and soft drinks in the Baltics are consumed much less than in Europe. The leading countries in terms of consumption are Denmark with 74 liters per person, followed by Finland, Sweden and Norway. In Latvia, the number is 12 liters per person. In Estonia it is higher, reaching 20 liters per person, and in Lithuania the number is about 10 liters. Results from the new subsidiary CIDO Logistika were also released last week. The company distributes CIDO products and is also the exclusive distributor of Kellogg's products and Maiskij Caj tea here.

The company's turnover reached 14 million lats ($22.4 million) last year, said Daiga Grusle, director of the marketing department.

CIDO Logistika owns one of the most modern storage facilities in Latvia, with a capacity for 10,000 palettes. The company has also increased the number of its delivery vehicles from 24 to 60 and has plans to add more.