Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) Australia has announced that it is withdrawing from the sale and distribution of the Rekorderlig Cider brand in Australia.

Rekorderlig is Australia’s biggest selling flavoured cider brand and CCEP said the decision followed a strategic review. First launched in Australia in 2010, Coca-Cola Amatil secured a 28-year distribution agreement for the brand in 2018.

CCEP Vice President Licensed Tobias Hoogewerff said “As the CCEP organisation continues to align as a bottler of our brand partner, The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), re-aligning Rekorderlig cider to a distributor with similar future ambitions in the cider category will enable brand owner AB Abro Bryggeri (ABRO) to best maximise its future growth ambitions for Rekorderlig in Australia.

“The close to 10-year partnership between CCEP and ABRO is to be celebrated. Our CCEP and ABRO teams have passionately driven the Rekorderlig brand over the years and will continue to work together to ensure a smooth transition for our customers and for the Rekorderlig brand.”

As a result of the decision, CCEP and ABRO are working together to transition the brand to an alternative distribution partner by 1 July 2024.

Move follows Beam Suntory ending partnership with CCEP

It was announced in August 2023 that Beam Suntory was ending its 16-year partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) in Australia and New Zealand in 2025.

Beam Suntory merged its alcoholic and non-alcoholic businesses last year to create a $3 billion-a-year company called Suntory Oceania.

The company said that following a successful 16-year manufacturing, sales and distribution partnership in the spirits and alcoholic RTD categories, the two companies had decided to move forward independently.

Suntory Oceania is building a $400 million manufacturing facility in Queensland which will launch non-alcohol production from mid-2024, followed by the introduction of alcohol production from mid-2025.