Bottler Coca Cola HBC’s April sales lose fizz as lockdowns weigh

(Reuters) – Soft drinks bottler Coca Cola HBC AG on Thursday said sales in April fell by more than a third as fast-food chains, theatres and other public arenas stayed shut to limit the spread of the new coronavirus during stay-at-home orders.

The company, a bottler for U.S.-based beverage firm Coca-Cola , said net sales revenue for April slumped 37.2% on a constant currency basis, with first-quarter sales slipping 1.2% to 1.41 billion euros ($1.52 billion). (https://reut.rs/35Ec6pQ)

“After a strong start to 2020, March and especially April have been more difficult … The strong performance in January and February ensured that we entered this crisis from a position of real strength,” Chief Executive Officer Zoran Bogdanovi said.

(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr)