HONG KONG -- Swire Pacific, a major Coca-Cola bottler in mainland China, faces an uphill battle in the country as a slowing economy makes consumers increasingly cost-conscious, even for the iconic American soft drink.
"We see China business [to be] challenging," Karen So, managing director of Swire Coca-Cola, told reporters at Swire Pacific's annual earnings press conference on Thursday. She cited the slow economic recovery from the COVID pandemic, coupled with a difficult external environment, and said the situation may not turn around this year.
