PepsiCo, Unilever expand partnership for Lipton Tea

ATLANTA: PepsiCo and Unilever agreed to add 11 countries to their distribution partnership for Lipton bottled tea drinks to more than double sales volume outside North America.

The accord adds eight European countries as well as South Korea, Taiwan and South Africa to the partnership, the companies said today in a statement. Sales to retailers in these countries were e 300 million ($415.9 million) in 2006, they added.

PepsiCo and Unilever are expanding their agreement to win back consumers who have stopped drinking sugary soda amid obesity concerns. The pact will “more than double” the current volume of the international joint venture, they said, without being more specific.