Sugar-free and West German - changes at Vita Cola

The traditional East German brand Vita Cola has noticed a trend towards sugar-free soft drinks. While sales of traditionally sweetened cola are declining in eastern Germany, the sugar-free segment is growing strongly, said a spokeswoman. "There is a trend towards more conscious consumption." However, sugar-free cola and other sugar-free soft drinks still only account for a small proportion of total sales.

In total, Vita Cola recorded a slight increase in sales of 0.3 percent last year and sold 100.1 million liters of soft drinks. The brand of Thüringer Waldquell Mineralbrunnen GmbH from Schmalkalden does not provide separate information on turnover and profit.

Western Germany drives growth

Vita Cola has also been actively marketed in western Germany for around a year and a half, said a spokeswoman. The different varieties are available in more and more markets there. This is also the driver for the current slight growth and compensates for the decline in sales in the east. Since the beginning of the year, the citrus-flavored cola has also been available in cans in the West, for example, which is currently very popular in the cola market.

The aim for the current year is to underpin the market strength in the East and continue to grow in the West, the company said. The four sugar-free varieties are to be given even more weight. A total of 15 non-alcoholic soft drinks are sold under the Vita Cola brand: four cola varieties, a cola and orange mix, eight lemonades and two energy drinks.