Manufacturers invest in soy-made beverages
Gazeta Mercantil - 07/10/2008
The growth potential of soy-based beverages, a relatively new category, has increased the investments in the product. Swiss Nestlé, for example, which operates in Brazil with the Sollys brand, is getting ready to place a 200-milliliter version of the beverage on the shelves - so far, the company worked only with 1 liter versions. Also this year, Yoki, a traditional food manufacturer, invested R$ 30 million (US$ 18.8 million) to start operating in the category. These companies try to gain room in a market in which Unilever, owner of the Ades brand, is the sole leader, with 62.8% of the market share. In 2007, the sales of soy-based beverages sold R$ 552.4 million (US$ 286.2 million), compared to R$ 453.5 million (US$ 208.3 million) in 2006, according to data from AC Nielsen. For this year, the projection of the market is to grow up to 20%, according to Patrícia Pollice, marketing manager of the Ades brand. Sole leader - the company has 46.4% of the market share with the original line and 16.4% with the flavored line -, the company has made an effort to keep the distance in relation to its rivals. The main strategy has been to diversify the temporary portfolio, testing seasonal brands, and definitively adding the products with good acceptance. The strawberry and banana mix flavors of the shake line - released in the middle of 2007 -, for example, were integrated to the portfolio and already represent 16.4% of the market of the Original line. Unilever invested R$ 7 million (US$ 4.4 million) in these products that will be produced in the company's plant of Pouso Alegre (MG). According to data from Nielsen Homescan (consumers panel of the institution all over Brazil), the category of soy-based juices increased the penetration and the purchase frequency through all Brazilian social classes in the first four months of 2008. Yoki also has its production concentrated at a plant in Pouso Alegre (MG). The company, which invested R$ 30 million (US$ 18.8 million) to initiate the production in January, declared at the time that the goal was to reach 8% of the market until the end of 2008. Nestlé, which invested R$ 50 million (US$ 31.3 million) to place the Sollys brand - which has juices, cereal bars, among other products - in the market in May last year, stated that it expects "to surpass the 2007 sales in 2008, and, to do so, it have already placed 200-milliliter versions of soy-based juices in the market". According to Patricia, from Unilever, the growth of the category is above any others of the food sector.