At the conclusion of a new year, which was marked by a return to pre-pandemic activities and an ever-changing political, economic, and social framework, it is undeniable that we live in a challenging world that generates both uncertainty and opportunity.
This year brought new factors that have challenged the corporate sector in general and our business in particular, including high levels of inflation in the markets where we operate, rising raw material costs, shifting consumer preferences, and changes in the political and regulatory environment, all of which have created a new scenario for the development of our business.
Under this scenario, and thanks to the implementation of our strategy, we have continued the path toward becoming a Total Beverage Company, which enables us to be present in all beverage categories in Chile and to continue growing our other operations.
As a result, we achieved a consolidated adjusted EBITDA of Ch$464,510 million in 2022, a 16.9% increase over the previous year and a 33.1% increase over 2019, the year before the pandemic. Sales volume for the year was 873.6 million unit cases, an increase of 5.5% over the previous year, and without taking into account the volume of wines in Chile, which the company began commercializing in November 2021, volume increased by 5.1% in the period.
In order to strengthen this path and because we understand that during volatile times, stronger conviction in what we do is required, it became essential to discuss and review our raison d’être, as well as our contribution to society and the environment, through a participatory process to unveil our purpose: Reach together every corner, to refresh moments and open opportunities.
Under this guiding principle, we have fostered an agile, flexible, and committed culture, which has enabled us to strengthen our leadership in the markets where we are present, in line with the expectations of our customers and consumers, by operating with efficiency and productivity and by incorporating automation and digitization into our processes, so that we can reach more territories every day, with a broader offering and through multiple channels.
Sustainability – structured under the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) pillars –has also been a focus of attention and priority, where we have continued to foster a culture of greater inclusion, diversity and innovation among our employees, suppliers, customers and consumers.
In this line, we reaffirm our commitment to contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, by promoting a circular view of our processes, enhancing the returnability of our packaging, addressing greater water efficiency and incorporating concrete alternatives to reduce our emissions, in accordance with the global agenda to address climate change.
We also seek to contribute to the sustainable development of our host communities by coordinating various stakeholders to implement initiatives that contribute to the improvement of their quality of life and well-being, with a particular emphasis on local procurement.
These guidelines, along with the unwavering commitment and dedication of every member of the Andina team, as well as our partner The Coca-Cola Company, have enabled us to consolidate our position as one of the most relevant bottlers in the region, not only in terms of results, but also in terms of the quality of our products and services.
We are aware that the year 2023 will bring new and significant challenges, which, with the help of the Andina team and the proper implementation of our strategy, we will be able to overcome and thus continue on our path to achieving our goals.
