Italian mineral water and non-alcoholic beverage brand Sanpellegrino Group ended 2020 with sales of €893 million, down 8.1% year-on-year due to lower out-of-home sales and closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Italy-based mineral water and soft drinks company produced more than 3.5 billion bottles in this period.
Sales of the Sanpellegrino brand, comprising water and soft drinks, were in line with 2019 results, when the company saw growth of 6.3%.
Foreign Markets
The San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna brands held ground in foreign markets, which accounted for 64% of overall turnover.
Sales increased by 2% in Japan, 8.5% in the United States, 27.7% in Russia, and 28% in China.
New flavoured waters brand Essenza was particularly popular in the United States, accounting for 80% of total global sales.
Exports amounted to €573 million, registering a decline of 2.8% on the previous year.
Despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanpellegrino performed better in international markets than the entire mineral water sector, which, according to Nomisma's Mineral Water Monitor, suffered an 11% drop in value in cross-border sales.
Sanpellegrino's exports grew mainly in the United States, the group's largest market, driven by S.Pellegrino mineral water (+8.6%) and soft drinks (+13.7%). China reported an 80% growth in Acqua Panna sales.
Performance In Italy
In its home market, Sanpellegrino reported a 16% decline in turnover to €320 million. Out-of-home sales dipped 38%, partially offset by the retail channel and e-commerce (+36%).
Levissima increased its market share in Italy and recorded a 1% increase in volume, while both S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna saw a 3% increase in volume.
In April of this year, Sanpellegrino pledged to cancel emissions from its San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna international mineral water and soft drinks brands by 2022, and announced plans to extend the same to the company’s entire product portfolio by 2025.
