Business as usual: Pepsico Malaysia

The prevailing economic gloom, brought on by the debt and financial crises in the United States and Europe, is not
expected to disrupt the business of Pepsico (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

A subsidiary of Pepsico International, the company, which is a distributor and supplier of beverages and food products said it had proven its business sustainability during the last financial crisis which had hit the country in 1997.

Head of Marketing Pepsico Malaysia, Jocelyn Ng said the demand for beverages would always be there as eating and drinking went together. "Therefore, we do not see any major business disruption in Malaysia," she told Bernama in a interview today.

She said that business in Malaysia has been very healthy with the company's sales increasing year-on-year. The company also aims to increase its presence in the Malaysian market, and

with that its market share in the business segments in which it has presence.

Without revealing the sales figures, Ng said Pepsico currently enjoyed some 24 per cent of the national carbonated beverages market.

"For our Quaker Oats brand, we are currently the market leader with approximately 65 per cent (market share) of the hot cereal category. "Same goes to our own Tropicana Twister, which owns some 25 per cent share in the juice segment," she said.

Pepsico's three main product categories are carbonated beverages,
non-carbonated beverages and food products. When asked if there had been any long delay in the launch of new Pepsico beverage variant amid the economic slowdown, Ng said that it was not the case.

Only a few months ago, the company introduced Tropicana Twister
Blackcurrant, and with the support seen, the company went on to launch the same juice in lychee flavour, she explained.

"The new flavour is now popular and more people are beginning to try it," she said. Ng added that Pepsico will continue to be supported by both its beverage and food products segments as both were important businesses. -- Bernama