First weekend of hot weather brings 50-60% sales rise for ailing markets

After a weak start to the season, which saw a 7-10% consumption decline, the first weekend of hot weather in 2010 brought sales increases of up to 50-60% for the water, soft drinks, beer, and ice cream markets.
Producers say, however, that the two or three-day hot spell does not compensate for the sales declines recorded in April-May.
"In the Carrefour hypermarket chain, water sales recorded between 11 and 13 June were 45% higher than in the June 4-6 weekend: We recorded a 58% rise on the carbonated water segment and a 33% rise on the still water segment," specified Andreea Mihai, marketing manager of Carrefour Romania, the biggest hypermarket operator on the Romanian market.
The soft drinks market also peaked during this period.
"Over the weekend, European Drinks soft drinks and water sales rose by around 60% compared with the average of a regular day of the year," specified Adrian Rotar, general manager of European Drinks, a company with over 100 million euros in annual turnover.