Danish brewing giant Carlsberg has successfully acquired soft drinks manufacturer Britvic.
The deal is valued at £3.3bn and was backed by Britvic’s board after a previous offer of £3.1bn was rejected.
The move is seen as a strategic diversification for Carlsberg, as the addition of Britvic’s extensive soft drinks portfolio – which includes brands like J2O, Robinsons, Rockstar Energy and Tango – will let it capitalise on the growing demand for non-alcoholic drinks and expand its reach beyond the beer aisle.
The new business will be called Carlsberg Britvic. Its creation should bring mutual benefits to both businesses, leveraging Carlsberg’s extensive distribution network and Britvic’s established bottling infrastructure to drive growth and market expansion in the UK and western Europe.
The takeover includes a continuation of Britvic’s exclusive bottling agreement with PepsiCo, ensuring that the production and distribution of Pepsi and 7up in the UK remain uninterrupted.
Carlsberg has been a long-standing partner with PepsiCo in several of the brewer’s core markets and is expected to become the largest PepsiCo bottling partner in Europe after the buyout.
