Horlicks, made with malted barley and buffalo milk, became part of Glaxo’s portfolio when the drug giant merged with SmithkKline in 2000. Even though the drink primarily targets children, GSK also sells a high-nutrient version for adults and Mother’s Horlicks for pregnant and breast-feeding women.
Glaxo’s consumer health sales in India totalled about £350m, or 9% of global sales for the division in the nine months through September. Worldwide sales including pharmaceuticals totaled £20.4bn in the period.
According to Bloomberg, Horlicks sold almost twice as much in India as Coca-Cola Company’s Thums Up soda, double Pepsi and brought in 50% more revenue than Tata Global Beverages Ltd’s Tata Tea last year, according to Euromonitor, which doesn’t track sales of unpackaged loose teas. The country’s best-selling packaged drink is Parle Bisleri Pvt.’s Bisleri bottled water.
GSK Consumer Healthcare (SKB) India head, Zubair Ahmed, told Bloomberg that the company is trying to take Horlicks into a mega-brand strategy. In future, the company plans to come up with ready-to-drink versions of the powdered beverage and healthy snacks.
In China, helped by the introduction of Lucozade in 2010, Glaxo’s consumer health-care sales grew more than 10% in the first nine months of last year. Glaxo ended a two-year distribution agreement with Uni-President China Holdings late last year and is seeking an alternative strategy for Lucozade, according to the company.
Source: Bloomberg
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