Major beverage company Suntory Beverage & Food announced their intention to hike prices of soft drink beverages sold in vending machines from April 1^st by an average ¥10 per can. The reason is the rise of the national sales tax from 5 to 8 percent on the same day.

Other companies, such as Asahi Soft Drinks and Dydo Drinco, Inc., have announced similar price hikes earlier. The largest beverage producer, the Japan Coca-Cola group has also made the announcement to raise prices of vending machine beverages from the middle of April.

Suntory Beverage & Food will be raising prices of such products as the Japanese tea beverage “Iemon” from ¥140 to ¥159, and canned coffee BOSS to ¥130 from ¥120. On the other hand, mineral water will maintain the current price, and other drinks that continue to be sold at the current price, will be bottled in smaller containers.

• 
• NO DATA