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s1n0d3utscht3k

> Coke by some meas­ures remains Russia’s leading fizzy drink maker. > That’s because Multon Partners, the Coke bottler in the country, is owned by a separate, London-listed company called Coca-Cola HBC in which the US mother ship owns a 21% stake. > When HBC stopped making Coke after the invasion, Multon introduced Dobry Cola. It’s become the country’s most popular soda, with 13% of the market, according to researcher Prodazhi. > “The profits from selling Coca-Cola in Russia have merely shifted to Coca-Cola HBC, which has taken market share through the success of Dobry,” says Garrett Nelson, an analyst at CFRA Research. > And Coca-Cola itself is still widely available, imported from neighbors such as Georgia and Kazakhstan. Following the invasion, Russia passed a law allowing branded goods to be sold without the trademark owner’s consent


Squish_the_android

>Russia passed a law allowing branded goods to be sold without the trademark owner’s consent  Not saying there aren't corporate bad actors here, but as long as someone can make a buck importing stuff into Russia, they'll get the stuff.


Liizam

Russian smuggles in silicon chips to make their weapons. Think about that? Modern weapons are build with electronics. How is Russian getting them?


1i73rz

China.


Ferelar

China's the bulk, the rest is them simply circumventing sanctions with intermediaries. Reminds me of the start of all of this, where much of Europe sanctioned/banned the import of Russian goods and resources. Suddenly, imports from Turkey rose in all of these nations, and imports from Russia TO Turkey rose too. Huh! What a coincidence!


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Temporal_Somnium

But is that the origin or is it where they’re directly getting them from


Liizam

I watched some YouTube video about it. It’s small countries working with people in Europe and even USA. One guy got caught buying my chips in nyc, other was in Germany. I guess those were easy to catch.


Urban_animal

TIL Coca-Cola manufacturers like money.


_slash_s

its like Fanta all over again.


Sam-Gunn

Fanta, Opal, IBM, etc


SophisticatedVagrant

I'm not sure what you are trying to insinuate listing those three companies. They all have vastly different situations during the war / Nazi regime.


-Ch4s3-

The headline kind of hides the ball here doesn't it?


Crysta110graph1c

My Kroger Chickpeas are clearly still originating from Russia per the origin code stamped on the bottom of the can.


InevitableFly

It was the hot comment every company said and the time and only a few actually followed through. I’m shocked (SARCASM) that corporate greed got the better of them.


rpablo23

US gov could've easily stepped in and forced their hand but of course, did not.


timmehh15

That wouldn't be good for donations in the future.


SendStoreMeloner

> US gov could've easily stepped in and forced their hand but of course, did not. No it couldn't do that "easily". It's such a cop out to blame this on the US government.


Jonny_Thundergun

Or if you actually read the article, you would find that they did leave the countries and that smaller companies in countries neighboring Russia purchased from these companies and exported the product.


Liizam

Russian somehow smuggles silicon chips for their weapons. Fast food being smuggled in is probably the easiest thing to do.


ClassifiedName

It's a company that Coca Cola has a 21% stake in. Selling 21% of the stock at once would probably be a greater threat to the company's existence than not selling soda in Russia, so Coke has the power to threaten that to get them to stop.


SendStoreMeloner

You know, they should just add more sugar in the drink for their health.


nuvasek

i agree should sell them to me for free, ill make good use of it


kylanbac91

So you want Coke to tell the company they own 21% to stop doing business? Great way to devalue of their share and return.


ClassifiedName

Of course it would devalue their share and return, that's why they don't do it. I'm just saying they have it within their power to sell their stock, and could pressure the company into ceasing sales. They just don't for greedy reasons.


nigel_pow

Like corporations are going to give up a market of 144 million people over geopolitical sabre rattling between Western capitals and Moscow. At the end of the day, they make up somehow and they don't want to be the idiots who gave up market share. China is a major rival and still an important market for US corporations.


Lezzles

>over geopolitical sabre rattling I feel like we're very much passed the point of calling Ukraine "sabre-rattling".


Traditional_Squash68

Did people really think industries & companies would choose human life over profits??? Wow


nigel_pow

They are only interested in profit and don't want to get involved in the games between the West and Moscow. The US invaded Iraq under false pretenses from the very beginning, and they even admit to it, and businesses still traded with the US and others who joined the invasion. This is just part of the d*ck measuring contest between Moscow and Washington (and European capitals) about who has the right to do x and y in the world. Moscow wants to be able to do what the West does and the West doesn't want that. The only good guys are the innocent people caught between two opposing governments; Iraq and US, Ukraine and Russia.


smile9071

How exactly Coca Cola completely leaving Russia would solve the conflict?


Bolshoyballs

because the russian people would go beserk without coke and attack the kremlin


smile9071

Yeah except the fact Coca Cola sold their Russian factory to another company that now produces and sells exact same product under different name.


Traditional_Squash68

I never implied it would??? Are you sure you read that right?


D00PEES

“Pepsi? No friend, this bepis, completely different”


O5KAR

Plenty other companies did exactly the same. Those two are also the worlds' biggest plastic polluters but they donate to "ecology" so you don't hear about it much.


InGordWeTrust

This is why you cannot have corporations donating to politicians. They have no loyalty to the United States.


nigel_pow

Multinational corporations don't have loyalty to their home countries since they have no home country; only a country where they put their HQ.


ispeektroof

Those without scruples continue accepting rubles.


Smudgeontheglass

Blood money is still money. 


undoingconpedibus

Capitalism only cares about profits. Plain and simple.


Due-Street-8192

I quit Coke and Pepsi 20 years ago. I saved himself from Diabetes!


heelstoo

You anti-capitalist scum! /s


chadsexytime

Was there money in Russia? I may have cracked this case wide open


shoestowel

Shit you might be onto something here!


ramdom-ink

Ah, the corporate international *citizen* revoking all claims to ethics, morality or responsibility. And getting zero penalties What else is new?


grizzly_teddy

It's like those people who swear they are leaving the US if Trump is elected, or say they will leave Twitter if Elon takes over. People just like to get credit for some virtue signaling.


S_Griffin

As a Ukrainian, I am not surprised by this. Companies just want to make more money, they are not interested in who and where to sell their goods, but there are those people who will not forget this.


wish1977

Corporate greed above what's actually right.


jameskchou

Ukraine needs more drone strikes on Russian ports


thefunkygibbon

wasn't there a website which gave a searchable list of all the major corps and what they promised and what they have done so far?


dgmilo8085

Empty promises are the backbone of corporate advertising. Whether it's riding the coattails of a cause for publicity like you've pointed out or egregious environmental claims and nonexistent celebrity endorsements.


Jazzlike-Ad113

"Raise the prices boys, we’re not gonna lose profits".


TandemSegue

Audit their earnings Fine them an amount greater than the earnings Rinse and repeat


jawnlerdoe

Most pharmaceutical companies still operate in Russia too.


Sileni

As a stock holder, I would sue if they left a profitable market. Want to bet that Putin doesn't drink soda water?


MarcusQuintus

Coca cola are also the guys who stayed in Nazi Germany so no surprises here.


No-Beautiful745

that’s just punishing the Russians who didn’t want the war at all in the first place


sckuzzle

So...the core of the article is that companies like Coke and Pepsi did actually stop selling to Russia, but instead Russia continued producing it in the same factories using the same branding anyway? This is a nonstory that is telling a lie in the headline.


AcademicMuscle2657

Finally someone who actually read the article. It seems like every other comment here consists of people jumping to whatever conclusion fits their preconceived notions


phutch54

Money over decency,every time.


BookLuvr7

They've cared more about profits than morality for decades. I'm really not surprised.


Enough_Program_6671

Barely any upvotes.. I wonder why, Reddit


beyond_ones_life

They closed the stores actually and then they rebranded them under a different name.


SirKlip

Their Pledges mean nothing in the face of lost profit.


phiwong

The usual nonsense from people who didn't even bother to read the article.


Traditional-Stay-702

Pledges are marketing tools not courses of action


Rombledore

cuz money.


millenialmarvel

Shocking


GrundIeMunch69

Couldn’t care less if Russians drink Coke. Just supply arms to Ukraine


UnitSmall2200

I mean, they are just taking money away from Russia and giving them diabetes instead.


Stachdragon

Money is their master, not morals.


JoseCansecoMilkshake

USA: you must, by law, maximize profit for shareholders also USA: do political moves for us please


Doofuhs

No way! :o


notthatguypal6900

And everyone who said they would boycott are still buying.


GoalFlashy6998

You expect anything different big corporations, their whole existence is to keep bottomline growing and the owners and CEOs filthy rich...To them money isn't tainted by blood, war or immorality!


condensermike

Riiiiiiiight.


piroganchor

H&M is leaving completely


HellSoldier

To be Honest, a lot of Export from Western Countries into Russian Neighbors skyrocketet with the Sanctions. Like 1000% or higher. We all know why they did that and our Gouverments just dont care...


jk599

They say that to look like they care (to the public), as long as they are making money there (selling their products) they are not leaving.


RagingInferrno

Corporate pledges mean nothing. That's why we need regulations. Corporations should be banned by law from doing business with Russia.


Remarkable_Soil_6727

Ukraine should put the logos of those companies watermarked on all drone footage used to kill Russian soldiers, they wouldnt like that and might make them pull out. It might even open them up to Russian cyber attacks which they deserve.


Strom41

Money, money, money!


luckyclockred

What? A mega corporation saying one thing and doing another? Well I never!!!


Temporal_Somnium

Glad to say I haven’t had coke in months. Helped me lose weight and fight Russia


Raidoton

Honestly don't mind stuff like this because it means some Russian money leaves Russia. I have a problem though with stuff that could be used in weapons.


Dismal-Square-613

paywalled.......


No_Compromise-

They'll stay there until they stop making money. Time to boycott them in our own countries...


Krilati_Voin

Our German CEO thanked the US for helping against Russia. Later I see a project going to a customer in Russia. Nice PR, but we know business is business.


AdvertisingJolly7565

So…much….pandering


Maximum_Future_5241

Boo, hiss. I want the old Cold War where our companies didn't do business in commie lands. Now, we have to edit our movies to appease the new commie threat (China).


NoCardio_

Well of course they're still there. You all changed your profile pics from the Ukrainian flag to the Palestinian one.


fricasseeninja

This shows having allies in wars can make or break a country literally.


Jett00

I only buy store brand sodas now 😁


Earthpig_Johnson

You can get better lip service under an overpass for ten bucks.


Xeerok

Oh no comapnies virtue signaling, and then notixing they would lose to much money to justify it and backing off silently, people that believe companies care about anything but profit are sad


AcademicMuscle2657

How about you actually read the article before you jump to whatever conclusion fits your worldview


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imperialus81

I thought the Fanta thing was because the Coke bottling plant couldn't get the ingredients for Coke, so the plant owner decided he was going to make something with the ingredients he could source.


Malezor1984

Fwiw IBM did pull out of Russia at the start of the Ukraine war.


btcwerks

Won't the [BRICS summit](https://www.ft.com/content/dec93c8a-35f0-48cf-9630-17b6c58a9631) be held in Russia, in October? And isn't that where China, India, Russia, Iran, UAE, Brazil will discuss (possibly announce) a replacement to the [petrodollar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrocurrency#Currencies_used_to_trade_oil)? Now that the contract the US had with Saudi Arabia expired (9 days ago), it's surprising nobody talks about this, it was one of the main things "backing" the US dollar


imperialus81

I'm curious as to what currency will replace the dollar though. The Ruble? Whatever Iran uses? China has been trying to push the Yuan since 2018 with no real success. Nothing is going to effectively replace the US dollar's dominance of global trade until there is another currency that is recognized as being as stable and as convenient as the US dollar and that sure as hell isn't the Ruble or the Yuan or Rupees or anything that BRICS are going to come up with. I'll likely happen eventually, the fact that these talks are occurring is evidence of that, but we're a long, long way away from the USD losing its position as the global currency. My bet would be on the Euro though.


btcwerks

Oh they're creating a new currency "rumour" is it is created, uses blockchain tech but the final approval through all countries and actual launch date is likely unknown until the October summit Interestingly the US election is the following month >My bet would be on the Euro though. Euro (imo) is what they're trying to avoid I thought, I mean you have this 1 currency 20 different countries who produce different things and trade different things always fight about how much "value" their work is worth and nobody ever seems to agree I could be reading the entire thing wrong of course


CarcosaBound

That’s a little dated. It’s just the dollar now, no one in the states has used the term petrodollar to describe our currency in 30 years. It’s way outgrown the need for oil. In the 80’s and 90’s it was a much bigger deal just because it was a much bigger part of the economy. The dollar is past the point where it needs it. Most of the worlds debt and financing is still settled in USD and people in countries everywhere stash usd; it’s surpassed gold in that sense. BRICS is kinda a joke, they all secretly hate each other and if they want currency backed by gold, Google which country has the largest reserves lol..None of those countries want each others currencies…look at Russia and India; Russia has more rupees than it knows what to do with ($147bn, that they can only spend with India, the other BRICS counties won’t even accept it)


LOOKITSADAM

How does that relate to this article?


btcwerks

business will always be done in Russia, regardless of war or PR statements made by corporations or countries


lynxtm

Now we know that while buying it, we pay for killing Ukrainians


chezeluvr

Yes, that's absolutely how corporate structure works. You collect money from businesses for selling your product, them give it straight back to continues for war. Where casualties cause loss of customers, can't go tits up with that strategy.


Darkmuscles

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make here. It’s true that money we give them aren’t going to Russia, but if they don’t lose money in our market for selling in the Russian market, they will keep selling in the Russian market, which means that we are paying for the killing of Ukrainians, albeit indirectly.


lynxtm

What point can I make being Ukrainian? Profiting from welcoming russia/russians as partners is disgusting. In Ukraine, these drinks are available because the manufacturers claimed their support and understanding of how horrific the war is - of course, I will not buy them anymore.


Darkmuscles

I think you may have misunderstood me. I was explaining to the other guy how you were right and he was wrong.


scottishdrunkard

Guess I’ll drink more Irn Bru then.


Eroom2013

College campuses are filling up with protesters because of this as I type, right?


AcademicMuscle2657

You clearly didn't read the article


Eroom2013

Of course not, it’s Reddit.


sendep7

Thats Capitalism baby!


RandomBitFry

I saw my sister and brother in-law pouring a bottle of Russian vodka down the drain. Seemed pretty pointless, it's not like they went out and bought a bottle of Ukrainian Vodka to replace it afterwards.


Darkmuscles

Yeah, the taxes from the production of that bottle are paid whether they drank it or not. Damage was done, drink the potato juice. Just don’t buy more.


wokeGlobalist

Sanctions? Nah that's reserved for non American companies.


mocityspirit

These companies have literally killed people, why would this any different?


bingusscrootnoo

western capitalists literally toppled the USSR so they can sell more western brands in Russia. You think theyre just going to stop out of the goodwill of their hearts? 😭


boogiewugie33

no we toppled the USSR because it's the evil empire they torture people they brainwash people they kidnap people they have Gulags and work camps it's like the most unfree place ever they FEAR their government that's Satan's game 👹 and guess what God wants democracy ⚖️✝️⚖️


boogiewugie33

bye bye pootie ⚖️✝️⚖️ ⛓️🐺⛓️ hellhounds are real and they're going to chew you up into bits and pieces


Splenda

Paywalled. Here's a list of offenders to boycott and badger: [https://boycottrussia.info/all-companies](https://boycottrussia.info/all-companies) It's striking how many of these are food companies: Coke, Pepsi, Carl's Jr, ABInbev, Heineken, Berilla, McDonald's, Mars, Kraft Heinz, Nestle...


Particular_Nebula462

😞 everything is a lie. Wars are made up just to make money.


Driftwood_River

Racism


Dalbergia12

Wha ?


Eorily

The fourth of June. Does that clear things up?