Soft drinks group Britvic on Wednesday said customers stocking up on Robinsons squash has helped soften the blow of losing sales when pubs and restaurants closed in the lockdown.
Chief executive Simon Litherland said the company behind J20 drinks had experienced “volatility” since the outbreak.
Britvic’s “out-of-home” division has been hit hard, with restaurants, cafés, cinemas and pubs that sold its products having to close temporarily.
But the boss pointed to some more upbeat news. He said sales of Robinsons leapt 31% in the past four weeks, with more people drinking juice at home.
“It softens the blow, although it doesn’t quite offset the difficulties,” Litherland said.
Litherland added that the group will benefit as more fast-food outlets reopen, and people return to work and buy drinks for lunch.
The company said it had a robust start to the year before the outbreak. In the six months to March comparable sales rose 1.4% to £698.8 million.
Shares in Britvic gained 33.5p to 754p
