BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. The Carlsberg Group
is expanding its strategic partnership with PepsiCo in a new
agreement to become the PepsiCo bottler in the Republic of
Azerbaijan as of 1 January 2027.
With this new strategic partnership, the Carlsberg Group will
take over the production, sale and distribution of the PepsiCo soft
drinks portfolio in Azerbaijan.
The production of PepsiCo portfolio will be continued via
current PepsiCo Bottler Mars Overseas, while Carlsberg production
plant in Xirdalan will go through major reconstruction and capacity
extension.
With the new agreement in place, Carlsberg will have bottling
agreements with PepsiCo in 15 markets: the UK, Ireland, Norway,
Sweden, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos and Cambodia, as
well as Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from 2029
and Azerbaijan from 2027.
The expanded partnership underscores the shared commitment of
the Carlsberg Group and PepsiCo to build scalable, locally relevant
beverage operations that support long-term growth in
Azerbaijan.
Jacob Aarup-Andersen, Carlsberg Group CEO, says: “We’re excited
about the further expansion of our long-standing partnership with
PepsiCo to Azerbaijan. With the new agreement, we’re adding
PepsiCo’s iconic brands to our strong local beer portfolio in the
country and significantly growing our business in that market,
which will allow us to offer consumers more relevant and diverse
choices across occasions”.
“This partnership represents a significant opportunity for our
company and our people. With volumes expected to nearly double,
substantial investments planned for our production site, and the
creation of new job opportunities, Carlsberg Azerbaijan is
well-positioned to become one of the leading beverage producers in
the country.” – adds Krasimir Lazarov, Managing Director Carlsberg
Azerbaijan.
