URC ventures into alcoholic beverages

Gokongwei-led Universal Robina Corp. (URC) has ventured into the Philippines’ P252-billion alcoholic beverages market with its spiked spirit products under the Chill brand.

URC said its Chill spiked spirit has 5% double distilled alcohol, real fruit extract and soda water, citing demand for light drinks people could take at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are looking at our young consumers of legal drinking age, who are authentic with their outlook and passionate with their calling, but who still know how to have fun,” Chief Marketing Officer Mian David said in an emailed statement.

The latest product is available in 330ml cans at a suggested retail price of P51, coming in flavors such as red apple, lemon lime, and lychee.

“In URC, our purposes is to delight consumers with better food and beverage choices. Chill is an embodiment of that purpose,” David said.

URC operates food business through its divisions and wholly-owned or majority-owned subsidiaries involved in branded consumer foods, agro-industrial products, and commodity food products.

The company’s beverages include Blend 45, C2, Cloud 9 Chocolate Milk Drink, Cream All, Great Taste, Refresh Orange, Re Fresh, and Blue.

Its branded consumer foods business is conducted in the Philippines, but has since expanded to other Asian markets through subsidiaries in Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, New Zealand, and Australia.

Shares in the company were trading down P1.90 or 1.53% at P122.10 apiece as of 11:31 a.m. on Tuesday, August 23. —Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/KBK, GMA News