Tapered Deals Haven’t Yet Deterred Soda Consumers, Informal Survey Reveals
June 7, 2022
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...
First Look: Program Explores Potential Alternative to ‘One-Way’ Bottles
June 7, 2022
Since late last year, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages has run a pilot test in El Paso, Texas to determine whether the returnable glass bottle can work once again in the US. The reusable package remains a staple in some emerging Coca-Cola markets around world, providing affordability for consumers and flexibility for bottlers. BD visited El Paso this week to get an up-close look at the pilot project.
Bottled Iced Coffee Partnership Remains Intact and Part of Coke Coffee Strategy
June 7, 2022
Inspire Brands-owned Dunkin’ has selected PepsiCo as the donut and coffee chain’s new beverage provider in the US, BD has learned. Dunkin’ operates almost 9,500 locations in the US. The chain serves chilled soft drinks and other beverages in bottles and cans, rather than fountain drinks. The business has been with...
Sprite Passes Diet Coke in Top-10 CSD Ranking, Nearly Tied With Dr Pepper
May 16, 2022
Annually, BD publishes estimated volume and value sales data for the US liquid refreshment beverages (LRB) market, as well as categories including carbon- ated soft drinks (CSD), and energy drinks. The data included in this special issue estimates beverage sales for all measured and unmeasured channels, including packaged retail, foun- tain, and vending. At retail, drinks measured are generally single-serve, direct-store-delivered (DSD) beverages. The fountain channel includes restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, and other foodservice outlets. BD now includes chilled juice in this report and in the annual Fact Book (available for purchase HERE)...
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...
Juice-Infused Brand May Add as Many as 50 Distributors This Year, CEO Says
May 9, 2022
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...
CEOs of Coke, PepsiCo Sound Notes of Caution as Inflation Grows, Persists
May 9, 2022
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...
Expects No. 2 Sports Drink Brand to Double Sales Within Four to Five Years
May 9, 2022
Late last month, former Chobani executive Federico Muyshondt took over as CEO
of BodyArmor, the sports drink and electrolyte water company that Coca-Cola purchased
in full last November. Born in Miami and raised in El Salvador, Muyshondt recalls his early introduction to the shiny US consumer packaged goods market by way of...
Wall Street Weighs in on Implications, Reads Deal Tea Leaves
April 19, 2022
Keurig Dr Pepper announced on April 5 that President and CEO Bob Gamgort, 59, will hand day-to-day control of the company to collaborator and CFO Ozan Dokmecioglu, 50, on July 29. Gamgort will become executive chairman. The move was...