Rtds/High-Strength Premixes in Bolivia

PROSPECTS

Young consumers in early alcohol consumption stages prefer spirit-based RTDs and premixes

The young population segment and people with a lower economic income generally account for most consumption of RTDs in Bolivia. Consumption preferences of Bolivian consumers of alcoholic drinks evolve over time.

Easy access to counterfeit or adulterated RTDs causes public health concerns

Often authorities in charge of controlling sales of alcoholic beverages seize illegally manufactured products that do not have the required production health permits. Sometimes these products are counterfeits of legal brands and on other occasions these products carry their own brand names.

Vodka and rum-based RTDs mixed with sweet and fruit flavours are most popular

The most important national and imported brands are mixes of spirits with juices or sodas with high sugar content. The most representative brands in the marketplace in 2017 were domestically produced Cuba Libre and San Mateo and 51 Ice amongst the imported brands.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Cuba Libre brand dominates RTDs, supported by broad penetration of its distributor Opal SRL

The national brand Cuba Libre dominated the category in 2017 with more than half of the total volume sales. Opal, its distributor and NBO, has managed to position the product in a massive way in all distribution channels, leaning on the advantage of having a broad portfolio of recognised alcoholic beverages in various categories.

Competitors focus their commercial strategies by offering bottles with larger formats

Having entered the category in a state of slow growth due mainly to the effect of the illegal market of RTDs, distributors have opted to innovate with products in larger formats. Cuba Libre, for instance, has introduced a 2-litre PET bottle to the market, effectively offering a better value-price ratio for the final consumer.

Price is the determining strategy distributors use to attract young consumers

Because the illegal RTD counterfeits have prices below those of legal products, sellers of legal RTDs of national origin opted to maintain their prices without increasing them in 2017, intending to remain competitive in relation to the informal market. Imported brands such as 51 Ice were forced to increase prices, given the new cost structure resulting from the increase in import tariffs in 2016.

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