NEW YORK/MOSCOW, Sept 20 (Reuters) – PepsiCo Inc (PEP.O) has stopped making Pepsi, 7UP and Mountain Dew in Russia practically six months after the U.S. firm stated it could droop gross sales and manufacturing after Moscow despatched tens of 1000’s of troops into Ukraine.
Pepsi’s announcement got here after Reuters visited dozens of supermarkets, retailers and gymnasiums in Moscow and past and located cans and bottles of Pepsi printed with July and August manufacturing dates from factories inside Russia.
The latest date on a Pepsi product was Aug. 17.
In an announcement to Reuters, the U.S. firm stated it had stopped making concentrates for PepsiCola, Mirinda, 7Up and Mountain Dew in Russia.
“All concentrates have subsequently been exhausted in Russia and manufacturing has ended,” a PepsiCo spokesperson stated on Sept. 8, the primary public feedback on the matter because the firm introduced in early March it was suspending manufacturing, gross sales, promotional actions and promoting in Russia. learn extra
The spokesperson stated this was “in keeping with the announcement we made in March 2022” however declined to remark when requested for an replace on gross sales and whether or not they had been halted.
The continued manufacturing means sodas are nonetheless broadly out there in Moscow and likewise in Vladivostok within the far east and Krasnoyarsk in Siberia, in keeping with a evaluate by Reuters.
A gymnasium proprietor in Moscow stated it had positioned an order with Pepsi as lately as mid-August.
The West has not sanctioned food and drinks as a part of sweeping measures geared toward punishing Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
However the continued availability highlights the complexity of withdrawing from one of many world’s largest international locations. In 2021, Russia was New York-based Pepsi’s third-biggest market, after the USA and Mexico.
Earlier in the summertime, retailers within the capital have been nonetheless promoting off stockpiles of overseas beers, months after the brewers stated they’d halt manufacturing. learn extra
Atlanta-based rival Coca-Cola Co’s (KO.N) manufacturing in Russia additionally continued after it stated in March it could droop operations.
The corporate stated in June its bottler, Coca-Cola HBC AG (CCH.L), a separate firm, and current clients in Russia have been depleting inventory, after which manufacturing and gross sales of Coke and different manufacturers would cease in Russia. learn extra
PepsiCo in March stated it could proceed to promote day by day necessities, reminiscent of milk and different dairy choices, child system and child meals, in Russia. The corporate has operated in Russia for greater than 60 years and its colas have been one of many few Western merchandise allowed within the Soviet Union previous to its collapse.
Reporting by Alexander Marrow in Moscow and Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Modifying by Josephine Mason and Lisa Shumaker
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