British soft drinks sector boosts economy

The soft drinks sector sustains over 340,000 jobs and contributes over £11 billion to the UK economy, according to a new report from Oxford Economics.

Commissioned by the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA), the report sets out industry’s impact on the wider economy, including supply chain, retail and hospitality.
Using data from the Annual Business Survey, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), it shows that while soft drinks manufacturers directly employ some 15,000 people, the sector supports total UK wages of £5.6 billion.

Total retail sales of soft drinks add £4.5 billion in value to the British economy, and supports over 91,000 jobs. In addition, the sale of soft drinks in hotels, restaurants and bars contributes £2.3 billion to the UK economy and supports nearly 128,000 jobs.

Gavin Partington, BSDA director general, comments, “Our sector contributes over £11 billion to the UK economy and supports over 340,000 jobs. By any standards that is a major economic contribution to this country.”