Time to stop bying Coke...

[neoconn]

Who says American companies aren't investing? They are. Billions, in fact. Only, they are just not investing here in the U.S.

Atlanta based Coca-Cola (KO) plans to invest $4 billion in China, the company's CEO Muhtar Kent told reporters in Shanghai this week. It's the company's biggest planned investment in China since the 2009 investment of $2 billion. The investments will start next year and is part of the company's China capex until 2014.







http://news.yahoo.com/guess-where-coca-cola-investing-4-billion-015616584.html

[indurancevile]

1. better stop buying pepsi too. which eliminates something like 95% of soft beverages on the market.

PepsiCo to Invest $2.5 Billion in China Over Next Three Years

SHANGHAI, May 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PepsiCo, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, today announced that it plans to invest an additional US$2.5 billion in China over the next three years. The newly announced investment is in addition to the US$1 billion investment the company announced in 2008, which will be completed this year.

http://www.pepsico.com/PressRelease/PepsiCo-to-Invest-25-Billion-in-China-Over-Next-Three-Years05212010.html

as together, those two companies own most of the branded lines.

[TheWraith]

14. Frankly, neither has ever really appealed to me.

I like Mountain Dew a little, but I've lived without it a long time. I'll take some root beer, thanks.

[indurancevile]

26. Mountain Dew is owned by Pepsi-Co. Barq's Root Beer = owned by Coca-Cola.

Barq's & A&W root beers are owned by Coca-Cola.

http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/brands/brandlist.html

Most soft drinks are owned by one or the other of the Big Two.

[Cheap_Trick]

35. A&W is actually owned by the Dr. Pepper Snapple group. nt

[indurancevile]

67. you shouldn't use wikipedia as a reference.

A&W is listed as a coca-cola brand on their website, as is dr. pepper. long-term license.

http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/brands/brandlist.html

http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/brands/product_list_d.html

the reason is: the "dr pepper/snapple group" is mostly a dodge around anti-trust law; most of their products are manufactured, bottled & distributed by coca-cola or pepsi.

if you study the history, it's pretty clear.

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1995/05/coke7.shtm.

http://www.antitrustlawyerblog.com/2010/09/ftc_approves_cocacolas_acquisi.html

http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?nm=Vending+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=E5DDF9B228EC4DDF87E8E3B1C7974234

http://www.cocacolaozarks.com/

"Dr Pepper's unique bottling arrangement relies on distribution by rivals Coke and Pepsi for most of its sales volume."

lol. yeah, that's definitely a "unique" agreement, when your "rivals" bottle (manufacture) & distribute your product.

[Systematic Chaos]

25. I get several flavors of Diet Shasta at the dollar store and am quite happy.

2.5 liter bottle for 99 cents or 4-pack of cans in 6 different flavors for 79 cents.

But I'm willing to bet we could find all sorts of evil deeds committed by Shasta as well if we looked hard enough.

[indurancevile]

27. Shasta is owned by National Beverage Corp, half a billion in revenues which nevertheless

makes it a very small player in the US market - 2.8 market share.

http://www.nationalbeverage.com/50Products.htm

[awoke_in_2003]

77. is fanta still around? nt

[indurancevile]

81. Fanta was always a coca-cola brand, originally a brand of coca-cola germany during

the nazi era.

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/fanta.asp

[awoke_in_2003]

82. interesting read, thanks. nt

[tblue]

32. Both are rotten corporate citizens all over the world.

That crap is bad for you anyway. Even diet sodas can make you gain weight!

[Kennah]

2. Nazi Germany. China. What's the big deal?

:sarcasm:

[Major Hogwash]

3. Oh noes!!!

I can't live without my Coca-cola!!!

[Historic NY]

4. Coke Mexico make it with real sugar...

tastes like the old days. somehow I think just about every country has a coke plant http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/bottlersites.html

[gateley]

10. LOVE Mexican Coke - which used to be American Coke! And it's

in glass bottles!

[Webster Green]

15. Oh yeah! It's one of my guilty pleasures as well.

I do love the Mexican Coca Cola.

[alphafemale]

43. ++++

It's funny to watch someone's face when you hand them a Mexicola for the first time.

Especially if they are old enough to remember what Coke used to taste like.

[Major Hogwash]

21. Someone told me that Coke in Canada tastes like the old Coke.

But, I don't know if that's true.

[arikara]

31. I doubt it

its made with genetically engineered corn syrup too. I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

[sammytko]

24. not all mexican coke is made with real sugar -

make sure you read the label

[hobbit709]

44. The ones around here are

[AndyTiedye]

40. You Can Get Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback with Real Sugar

(Oh nooos, the Pepsi and Coke corporations are eeeeevil.
Guess I can only drink water. Uh oh, that's privatized too.)

[Brickbat]

50. Not always. The Mexican Coke at my store is made with HCFS.

[Riftaxe]

5. I know, also all the Fast food restaruants

who keep opening up shop over there, instead of cooking the food in the united states and then Fed-Ex'ing it over, like a properly patriotic company.

[metalbot]

52. My thoughts exactly

Are people here seriously suggesting that Coke is somehow unpatriotic or greedy for not wanting to bottle coke products here in the US, put them on ships, and try to sell them in China?

On the IBM thread yesterday, everyone seemed to be condemning IBM for having 65% of their workforce outside of the US when, shockingly, about 65% of their business is outside the US.

[GoCubsGo]

70. Thank you.

I remember when the wingnuts were bashing Teresa Heinz Kerry because the Heinz Corp. made baked beans and condiments to be sold in Europe in Europe, rather than in the US. Never mind that she has virtually nothing to do with that company these days. This isn't any different. One can say what they want about Coca Cola, but bashing them for opening up plants in China is no different than bashing Mrs. Kerry for Heinz having European production plants. It's ridiculous. And, it's not like Coca Cola doesn't already have sufficient production facilities here.

[bonecrusher3k]

6. just abstain

I haven't had a coke since November 2010. At first it was tough, but it became easier and easier. Now I just don't think about it anymore. Water from the tap works wonders for thirst.

What also amazes me is all the commercials about how refreshing a soft drink is after physical activity... What a joke. I remember going to an outside musical event some number of years ago. My wife brought water, I brought coke. It was really hot and I kept drinking coke to the point of nausea but couldn't get relief from my thirst. Only when I switched to water did I start to feel better.

[handmade34]

13. I applaud you

:applause:


the added sodium is one of the culprits

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. Colas suck the calcium out of your bones, too.

Seriusly.

[Luminous Animal]

34. I never understood why people drink sodas. It just makes me thirstier.

I nice big glass of cold water plain or with cucumber or lemon (or both) is fantastic,

[xxqqqzme]

37. Like my brain freeze cold water

w/ a squirt of lime. Sure tasted good today after 2 1/ hours working in the garden.

[pipi_k]

60. I get the opposite effect...

My water bottle is filled up 3 times a day.

But sometimes plain water just doesn't do the trick. That's when I pop open the rare can of soda and have a few gulps and the thirst goes away.

The strange thing is that if the soda is flat, it doesn't work. So it must be the carbonation somehow...

:shrug:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

66. I've done the same

I still like root beer with pizza or hamburgers, but I can only drink about half the can.

[CleanGreenFuture]

80. I had a 40 ounce a day Coke habit...but then...

I quit just short of a month ago now and haven't looked back.

I still eat too much. That's going to be a much harder habit to break, lol. I loves me suh'um to eat!

[Hawkowl]

7. Switch to weed nt.

[Occulus]

51. +1

:rofl:

I knew someone would say something like that...

[gateley]

8. We have to make it so it's beneficial for them to invest here.

They are corporations and they are mandated by law to make a profit - they will always go where the profit is greatest.

I hate it, but that's the nature of the beast.

[A Simple Game]

56. Mandated by law to make a profit?

I worked for four different companies owned by four different nationalities, and not a one made a profit.

Maybe that's why I'm unemployed?

I would like to try one of those profitable ones some day.

[bhikkhu]

9. No problem - I avoid corn syrup, which is the sugar in most all sodas

Actual juice is good, and water is very good as well.

[valerief]

11. I stopped drinking soda pop decades ago. It's all crap. nt

[On the Road]

12. I am Truly Not Getting This

Soft drinks are a mature industry. Is Coke neglecting profitable investments in the US?

I would expect Coca-Cola to be expanding into China. It brings profits back to America, just as Ikea investing in the US brings profits back to the Netherlands.

[TreasonousBastard]

38. Nothing to get-- just some more kneejerk nonsense whenever...

someone mentions China. Or a large company, or snack food of any kind. Or... Some think the world would be a much better place without any large companies or products they don't like.

But, China is a huge market and everyone with the resources is opening over there and, yes, money comes back here. Even employs a few people.

(Ikea is Swedish, though, but no biggie)

[Spider Jerusalem]

54. Ikea is Swedish.

[TheMightyFavog]

64. Ikea's based in Sweden, not the Netherlands

Just so you know.

[bainz]

71. Is that true?

Everything that I have found traces it back to a Dutch trust. Kamprad is Swedish, but I don't think IKEA's money is.

[Nailzberg]

76. IKEA is a Dutch corporation these days

A few people were correcting you, so I'm just backing you up.

IKEA was founded in Sweden by a Swede, and largely identified as a Swedish brand, but the corporation is now run out of The Netherlands.

[GReedDiamond]

16. The time to stop buying anything w/hi-fructose corn syrup...

...is LONG past due.

"You're gonna havta to answer to the Coca-Cola company"

Edited to add "LONG."

[marginlized]

18. Are they American Corps when they have more Chinese employees,?

than American, get more of their profits over seas, have more plant and materials elsewhere?

American markets look mighty small compared to China, India, etc. anyway. Who can blame them for leaving.

And who cares? Aren't there a ton of small ma&pa start ups selling old fashioned colas in your town? That's who you ought to be buying, they're the ones who will hire locals, etc. Maybe someone will even spike their coke with coke. Now that would be the real thing.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

19. Great! Used to come with cocain, now with added antifreeze.

I don't drink the shit anyway but people really need to get hip to the fact that processed food is crap, not food.

[K8-EEE]

20. I hate soda -- liquid Satan! Rots your teeth.

Chems & sugar in a plastic bottle, not even that good but people have seen so many ads for soda by the time they're 5 years old they're convinced it's a necessity of life or something. Does anything create more trash? I walk most mornings and almost always end up picking some slob's Big Gulp cup off the ground, I just really have gotten to hate the stuff.

[elocs]

22. dupe, again

[elocs]

23. Well I'm still waiting for someone to post the exhaustive DU boycott list.

You know, all the products we are not supposed to buy, the services we are not supposed to use, the businesses where we are not supposed to shop.

Then again it might be shorter just to post what we can buy and where we can shop.

Since I don't drink Coke it will be easy to boycott them and feel all noble and righteous about it.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

63. Buy whatever you want, shop where ever you can afford.

Ignore DU and their calls for bullshit boycotts. Listen, I am poor. If I have to shop at Walmart or Target, shut the fuck up. I don't have a choice. I do not shop at local mom and pop joints, because if you think Walmart treats their employees like shit, you should see these places. They pay minimum wage because it is mandated, most of their employees are part time because paying for health care would make them have to drive something other than that luxury Suburban type vehicle they have. Their prices are so high I go cross eyed and the places haven't been updated in decades and they're filthy.
If me buying Coke products are the end of the world, I apologize. How many cartons of cigarettes are you buying every month? When the hypocrites on DU stop smoking, I'll stop buying coke and shopping at Walmart. Deal?
Duckie

[elocs]

65. Well said, and I agree. I'm poor as well and you do what you have to do to survive.

There are many who get preachy and self righteous about boycotting this and boycotting that. There are many here at DU who are well-off enough to do as they please.

When it comes to boycotting, people should follow their own consciences and have the courage of their own convictions and do not demand others to do the same in order to be good Democrats or moral people. It gets old when I read of people who get all high and mighty and look down their noses at those who choose not or cannot join in their pet boycotts. It's bad enough having to deal with judgmental Republicans without have Democrats do the same.

[MrScorpio]

28. I picked a fine day to stop doing coke. nt

[RegieRocker]

29. I stopped buying from all large corporations a long time ago.

[Zax2me]

30. No. I like it.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[neoconn]

36. Water Tea & Alcohol

That what goes into my body!!!

[cherokeeprogressive]

39. I've never had a carbonated drink in my life, and don't associate with people who have.

Sugar? I think my Mom may have goofed and slipped me a frosted flake once, but just that taste convinced me at age three that Sugar was to be avoided at all costs.

I also avoid TV whenever possible, and instantly leave an establishment that is showing a TV program I've been told I should hate.

I read, listen to classical music, and contemplate the ills of the world. That's about the extent of my life, and if more people were like me, the world just might be a better place, methinks.

Boycott Coke? Piece o' cake.

[a la izquierda]

45. Hahaha, thanks for the morning chuckle. nt

[Romulox]

58. LOL. "I don't drink Coke with YOU! It wouldn't be appropriate!" nt

[Spider Jerusalem]

41. So let's get this straight

company invests in production facilities and so on in a foreign country in which they have a large and expanding market, while their market in the US is flat and in fact declining. It is cheaper by far to produce Coke (or Pepsi, or whatever) for Chinese consumption in CHINA, because otherwise it would have to be shipped thousands of miles acrss an ocean. I honestly don't see what the problem is. Coca-Cola is already manufactured locally all over the world. The formula and taste varies depending on local market tastes; Coke here in Britain doesn't taste exactly like American Coke (partly because here it uses real sugar, but that's not the only difference) and it's different again across the Channel in France. It is perfectly reasonable for Coke to invest in Chinese production. (Just as it's perfectly reasonable for, say, Ford, to invest in producing cars in India for the Indian market just as they already do locally in Europe and South America and Australia).

[dynasaw]

42. Don't Drink the Stuff

It's bad for you any way.

[RebelOne]

46. No problem here. I never drink sodas. n/t

[Motown_Johnny]

47. Wouldn't it make more sense to take a look at our trade deals?

The idea that coca cola wouldn't ty to sell to the 1.2 billion Chinese doesn't seem reasonable

[BNJMN]

48. I try to only shop at my local Whole Foods / Organic Grocery.

I rely on them to sort it out for me.
So far, so good.

[hughee99]

49. US companies should spend their money in the US, regardless

of where they intend to sell their products. Foreign countries need to spend their money in the US is if they want to sell their products here.

Coke's plan is to invest in their ability to distribute Coke in China (a growing market). How do the spend money in the US that enables them to distribute IN CHINA more effectively?

In any case, you shouldn't drink soft drinks anyway.

[madokie]

53. Is this coke products being made to be shipped back to us here in the states?

When I was in 'Nam we could get coke, pepsi, budweiser and a host of other drinks that originated here in the states but by the time they got to us they were might near unpalatable. If coke and pepsi is doing this building out to serve the people of china or the region then I'm not so sure it isn't a good idea. The last thing we need is to add to the tonnage of cargo that traverse's our sea's. If the products is going to be shipped back here then yes I will stop drinking any of them by any of the companies.

[awoke_in_2003]

78. no, coke is just expanding its market...

it is not cost effective to produce coke in China and ship back here.

[madokie]

84. So whats the problem then

If they're making it for the local market whose to bitch about that.

[awoke_in_2003]

89. Some like to knee jerk...

it happens to me sometimes, too. Every one has a hot button issue, and for many it is jobs in China, understandably.

[Avalux]

55. Corporations go where the money is. Corporations = Money. America?

Don't ever expect corporations to be loyal to the US; this country is insignificant when they can go anywhere in the world and be just fine.

[Romulox]

57. People are without leadership, and very confused right now.

:hi:

[leftyohiolib]

59. the time to boycott coke came a long time ago when

they started using american trained paramilitary to keep unions from forming at their south american plants. read more here:http://killercoke.org/

[LWolf]

61. I don't buy softdrinks anyway. nt

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[indurancevile]

69. bottled locally in plants owned by the same globocorp.

[awoke_in_2003]

79. "long transits effect the taste"...

and cost- shipping cost for a relatively heavy (for its price) product makes it cheaper to produce locally. Anheiser Busch has known this for a long time.

[aikoaiko]

68. Is this so bad? Seems like Coke has hit the saturation point in the US

Can I really blame them for developing new markets in other countries?

:shrug:

[undeterred]

72. Soft drinks have no nutritional value and they rot your teeth.

[WinkyDink]

74. That would be a negative for Diet Coke.

[Hippo_Tron]

88. The acid in diet coke isn't great for your teeth, but it's far better than the regular stuff

I'm a frequent diet coke drinker, though, so I accept the risk. Like they say, everything in moderation.

[WinkyDink]

73. You must be young, not to remember Nixon, Pepsi, and the USSR:

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/pepsi-official-soda-of-the-cold-war/

[neoconn]

75. Great Link!!

That made someones career....

[Shagbark Hickory]

83. China's got a billion sets of teeth to rot.

Now that we've got them all hooked on stinkarettes.

[librechik]

85. ack they're all bad for you. stick to plain water with a lemon slice

refreshing and good for you.

[cbdo2007]

86. So....rotting your teeth and giving you diabetes wasn't enough to convince you....

but them investing in China is??

What the fuck is wrong with that picture???!?!?!

[raouldukelives]

87. Of course if you have a 401k your a big supporter

No matter how many you drink. But that goes for every other cruel, destructive and virulently anti-progressive corporations you can think of. So sure, don't drink them. Just keep investing. They will appreciate your continued support.