Kraft Foods Romania, the Poiana chocolate maker, last year resumed the sales growth trend after the decline in 2002.
It logged 2,000bn ROL turnover in 2003, up more than 30% from the previous year, said Doina Cavache, Kraft Foods Romania's external relations manager.
If calculated in euros, the company's sales amounted to 53.2 million last year, compared with 49.2 million in 2002, which accounts for an about 8% growth. Sales in euros in 2002 had been down 5% from the previous year.
"Sweets are our best-selling products, followed by coffee. We are number one on the sweets segment if judging by market share, and number two on the coffee segment," Cavache said.
Kraft Foods is one of the top players on the sweets and coffee markets in Romania. The company's portfolio comprises more than ten brands, with Africana, Poiana, Suchardine (made in Romania), Smash, Milka, Toblerone chocolates and Sugus, Silvana, Yam-Yam sweets and Jacobs and Nova Brasilia coffees as its best known products.
It also started distributing the Philadelphia cheese on the Romanian market this year. The brand was already on the market but was imported and distributed by a different company. "The entry on a new segment is rather recent so that we will try to consolidate the already existing segments for the time being and consider investment on other segments depending on the developments on the market," Cavache added.
Kraft Foods came in Romania ten years ago when it bought Poiana Produse Zaharoase (Sugar Products) Brasov factory. In its ten years on the market, it has invested more than $20 million and has come to employ over 750 people. Kraft also bought the Nova Brasilia coffee brand from rival Supreme Chocolats, producer of the Primola chocolate in 2001.
The company officials say the growing purchasing power is changing the preferences of the Romanian consumer.
"The Romanian consumer is becoming more demanding and sophisticated. The low price consumers have been gradually shifting to the medium price segment over the last year, following the increase in incomes and the launch of innovative products. Chocolate consumption per capita is still low, of about 0.7 kg a year," Cavache specified.
georgiana.stavarache@zf.ro
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