KEY POINTS:
Beverage maker Charlie's Group is reporting unaudited gross sales up 56.4 per cent to $26.9 million for the year to the end of June.
The group previously reported sales of $19.7m for the 15 months to the end of June 2006.
It adjusted that figure to $17.2m for the 12 months to the end of June 2006 to provide a comparison with the latest results.
The most recent figures include 12 months' trading from parent company Charlie's Group, Charlie's Trading Company and Phoenix Organics Group.
Charlie's today said the strong increase in sales for 2007 was partly due to rising demand across the group's product range under both brands, Charlie's and Phoenix Organics.
Other factors included investment in grocery sales systems, an enhanced product offering, and distribution growth in export markets.
Both the group's brands had benefited from a global trend toward premium beverage brands, with consumers willing to pay for high quality products that were better for them, Charlie's said.
Its retail sales in supermarkets grew well ahead of the market, with Charlie's retail sales revenue in the chilled juice category up 32.8 per cent, compared to growth of the chilled market of 5.6 per cent.
Charlie's and Phoenix Organics ambient juice retail sales revenue grew at 25 per cent, while the total ambient market grew at 3.8 per cent, the company said.
Phoenix Organics was sold in 12.7 per cent more stores than a year ago and was moving into the mainstream beverage aisle in supermarkets, following international trends of organic products becoming more available to everyday consumers.
Gross sales in Australia, the group's main export market, grew 36 per cent from the previous 12 month period.
Charlie's shares were up 0.5c to 18c in the first hour of trading on the sharemarket today, having ranged between 25c and 8.8c in the past year.
A final audited results announcement for the year to the end of June 2007 will be released in mid-August.
- NZPA
