Coke boss planning expansion

Managing director of Coca Cola Amatil in New Zealand, Chris Litchfield. Photo / Supplied

The new boss of Coke in New Zealand, Chris Litchfield, is focusing on expansion of the retail giant's liquor portfolio, which already includes international beer and cider products.

Having worked in various roles at Coca-Cola for 22 years, it has not taken Litchfield long to fit into his new job, and while he has no plans to dramatically change the face of the business just yet, he is hoping to expand the company's already broad portfolio.

"The business here was already on a journey of defining what the future looks like, so I think it's been great timing for me to come into the role," Litchfield said.

The alcoholic beverages already in the firm's portfolio included Coors and Blue Moon international beer, Magners cider and Tennants and Kronenbourg 1664.

Litchfield said the company had focused on cider and beer in the liquor sector, and had very deliberately moved into the sector as a way to broaden their market coverage.

"We have one of the widest portfolios in the world and that is out of choice, we've decided that we want to be more than just any one category," Litchfield said. "Our vision is about making sure that we widen our portfolio and widen how many consumers we reach."

Litchfield said the business had strong offerings in most major categories, but said there were a few, including alcohol, where the company was still building its portfolio. He also noted the brand had the capability to expand it's liquor category.

"We think that when there's a couple of big suppliers like Lion and DB there's always room for a third or a fourth, and I think we've got the skills and the capability and rapport with our retailers to add value, so we'll be looking to expand," Litchfield said.

Coca-Cola Amatil
• NZ 1000 staff throughout the country
• Revenue - $495.5m in 2013
• Profit - $60.8m