Red Bull growth rate slows
Red Bull founder and co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz said last week that the growth rate in the United States had slowed down since October, falling to single digits.
The company said it had "ambitious growth and investment plans" for 2009, despite the difficult economic climate, but Mateschitz told the regional daily Salzburger Nachrichten that he expected revenue to increase by only 3 to 5 per cent.
"People go out less and drink prosecco instead of champagne, or apple juice instead of Red Bull," Mateschitz said.
To compensate, the Salzburg-based company is planning to cut costs, with potential savings of up to 100 million dollars at its Formula 1 teams Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso. Earthtimes.org