Sales & Volumes

Eveready is dominant in a number of sectors in the South African battery market. According to AC Nielsen, it has 80 per cent of the market for zinc chloride batteries, while market share in other sectors is growing. The zinc chloride batteries are manufactured in Port Elizabeth, which is a modern factory with machines and technologies capable of producing 600 parts per minute.

For Eveready, the future lies in optimizing quality, cost, service, and delivery. Ongoing research and development, as well as the refining of the manufacturing process mean that there is continuous improvement of the dry cell batteries being produced in Port Elizabeth. However, increased competition from low-quality, but cheaper imports and the need to expand into new markets mean that the company has had to evolve from being purely a manufacturer to one which has control over the full value chain. Eveready is focusing on new core competencies in the area of distribution and the marketing of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in order to identify and develop new markets for its manufactured products. Given the entrepreneurial nature of the company, one can also expect that it will launch new forms of portable power as this technology becomes more reliable and affordable.

Price is a big issue for Eveready and one which neatly demonstrates the company’s fresh approach to business. Its response to rising input costs has been to see these as an opportunity to improve its own systems. The sales force is being trained to provide retail support, in addition to taking orders. "Our strength will lie in the services we offer in addition to the product. That is what will make Eveready unique in the market,” says MD of the company, Avijit Das.

The market is still skewed towards zinc chloride batteries but is clearly shifting towards Alkaline batteries. This change in the market is being driven by the change in consumer shopping habits, change in devices and location of major retail outlets, to name a few. Zinc chloride batteries are still a large contributor by volume, but Alkaline is the larger contributor by value. Eveready owns 99% of the total Layer cell (formerly known as PM9, PP9, PM10, and PP10) market in SA. Total Eveready (Zinc chloride, Layer Cells and Alkaline) is still by far the market leader. In Zinc chloride category, round cells, D size is marginally ahead by value while AA is marginally ahead by volume.

On the other hand, AA/R6 Alkaline is the largest seller followed by AAA/R03. According to AC Nielsen, the AA size batteries contribute the highest in sales by both volume and value. When comparing Zinc chloride and Alkaline volume sales, it can clearly be seen how devices influence sales. In the more "sophisticated” Alkaline market, AA & AAA are the drivers and contribute 89% to the total whereas in the Zinc chloride market, which is driven by flashlights, torches and radios, the AA & D size contribute 82% to the total.