You’ll note an extreme focus on carbonated soft drink pricing in today’s newsletter. That’s because there is no shortage of news, and soft drinks remain a massive and profitable category for US manufacturers and retailers.

On page 7, bottlers discuss the recent Memorial Day holiday weekend and how soda consumers and retailers are responding to higher list prices and fewer “hot” promotional deals. BD shares what we learned from an informal survey. The news so far is positive, even if precarious.

On page 10, we publish our annual soft drink concentrate pricing review, which reflects the inflationary environment facing the industry and its stakeholders. Increases for major soda brands like Coca- Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper as high as...

A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat...

Private label carbonated soft drinks (CSD) at US retail were unable to make progress in the first quarter of this year even though shoppers are facing unprecedented inflation at the grocery. As shown in the table, Private label CSD dollar sales barely grew in a category that was up more than...

In an informal BD survey of US beverage bottlers and distributors, Memorial Day holiday pricing was higher than last year as manufacturers and retailers continued to pull back on promotional discounting. Bottlers have faced unprecedented costs this year for everything from labor and transportation to raw materials. One bottler told BD that...

The return to restaurants in 2021, following pandemic lockdowns the year before, helped generate good news as you will see in today’s special issue and BD’s newly released Fact Book 27th Edition.

All major beverage categories, including carbonated soft drinks, posted...

PepsiCo’s emphasis on a broader array of fitness-minded consumers appears to be paying off for Muscle Milk, which PepsiCo acquired in early 2019. The brand grew by about +15% in 2021, compared to...

Spindrift is targeting 20 new states by the end of this year for its Spindrift Spiked sparkling water as the company forges a new direct store delivery (DSD) network. In an interview, Founder and CEO Bill Creelman said...

Plus: Energy Growth Decelerates in Convenience Channel. Snapple Plays Pricing Catch Up. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper all reported first-quarter earnings the week of April 25. The effect of inflationary pricing on consumer demand was a hot topic during earnings calls for investors. In an interview with BD, Coca-Cola CFO John Murphy...

Boston Beer CEO Says Trial ‘Higher Than I’ve Ever Seen.’ Scarcity, Cross-Border Sales Likely Bolstering Demand. Boston Beer’s Hard Mtn Dew, distributed by PepsiCo’s Blue Cloud unit, has now expanded to...