French crush on Britvic
French company PAI Partners is tipped as the favourite to acquire British-based soft drinks firm Britvic, which is reported to be the target of an international takeover.
Britvic is said to be struggling in the fizzy drinks market as health-conscious consumers look for alternative options.
The company, which owns Robinsons in Norwich and the Tango brand, has seen its share price fall heavily to 212.5p and has lately issued several profit warnings.
In an attempt to recoup turnover losses of 5.3% for the six months to April and a fall in operating profits of 18%, Britvic has launched several new products in an
attempt to share in the increasing popularity of the water market.
In June the company unveiled a £4 million production line at its Widford factory in Essex, to cope with increasing demand for its Fruit Shoot drink. Fruit Shoot H2O, a flavoured water brand extension, was launched three months ago and is being supported by an extensive sampling campaign.
