As April came to a close amid the COVID-19 crisis, BD spoke to beverage bottlers about their expectations for the rest of the year. Here are a few observations based on those discussions...
Bottlers Fight Back Against Single-Serve CSD Declines
May 6, 2020
Carbonated soft drink bottlers are facing lower margins due to a shift away from immediate consumption channels and packages such as 20-oz PET bottles to future consumption channels and packages such as 12-packs of 12-oz cans. The margin squeeze is a key reason for furloughs and job cuts at...
Also Closes $3.85 Billion Rockstar Energy Acquisition
April 28, 2020
PepsiCo just announced an exclusive agreement to distribute Bang Energy in the US. The deal, effective immediately, comes as PepsiCo also has closed the $3.85 billion acquisition of Rockstar Energy. Terms of the agreement with Bang owner VPX Pharmaceuticals...
Analysts at Goldman Sachs, led by Bonnie Herzog, surveyed retail and wholesale contacts representing 33,000 US convenience & gas store locations, which represents about a fifth of that retail channel. Here are some of their findings:
A recent report by Credit Suisse Analyst Lauren Silberman and her team outlined trends in the US restaurant sector, which is an important sales channel for fountain and packaged beverages. Here are some of the points from the April 13 report that BD found most important for the beverage industry:
CEO Sees Challenging Second-Quarter. Says Crisis Response in Coke's 'DNA.'
April 21, 2020
Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey emphasized the company’s resilience today as it reported first-quarter earnings amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are initial takeaways from today’s earnings release and company-hosted calls with Wall Street analysts and media:
COVID-19 UPDATES. States have been expanding access to online grocery delivery and pickup service for SNAP recipients in response to safety concerns during the...
US Launch in Limbo Despite Retail Pitch. Pepsi Café, too?
April 14, 2020
Back in January, Coke was busy showing US retailers its new Coca-Cola with Coffee offering in preparation for an April launch. Now it appears the plan has been delayed amid the COVID-19 crisis. While Coke declined to confirm any specific launch plans or delay, a spokesman did offer insight on the subject when asked...
A sports drink brand backed by cannabis producer Canopy Growth and with potential access to the beer distribution network of Constellation Brands is preparing to launch its first ready-to-drink product next month. Toronto-based BioSteel Sports Nutrition, known for its powdered pink beverage, wants to...