Following a successful 16-year manufacturing, sales, and distribution partnership in the exciting spirits and Alcoholic Ready-to-Drink (ARTD) categories, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) and Beam Suntory will move forward independently in Australia and New Zealand, to fully leverage their respective capabilities and reflect their broader strategies in alcohol. This will come into effect when the contract expires in Australia on 30 June 2025, and in New Zealand on 31 December 2025.
Since 2007 in Australia and 2015 in New Zealand, CCEP has been responsible for the sales and distribution of the Beam Suntory spirits portfolio, as well as the manufacture, sales, and distribution of its ARTD portfolio. Commenting on the partnership, CCEP’s Regional Managing Director for Australia, Pacific and Indonesia, Peter West said:
“We are incredibly proud of the results and capabilities we have built over the last 16 years. It’s been an exceptionally successful partnership, achieving rapid growth and driving strong category leadership.”
“Until the contracts end, it remains business as usual for our customers, and the great service we deliver. We intend to continue maximising our business performance and the category performance for the remainder of the contracts.”
CCEP plans to continue to participate in alcohol beyond the expiry of the Beam Suntory contracts and views ARTD beverages as an attractive proposition given its explosive growth in Australia and New Zealand, and its demonstrated synergies with CCEP’s existing knowledge and technical prowess. The expiry of the contracts will continue to drive CCEP’s business ambition to further align as a bottler of its brand partner, The Coca-Cola Company, and will free up much needed capacity to support its growing portfolio in Australia and New Zealand.
Peter West added: “Our understanding of the spirits and ARTD market has never been stronger, and beyond the expiry of the Beam Suntory contracts we plan to launch new scalable offerings in both Australia and New Zealand aligned with The Coca-Cola Company and other brand partners.”
