Keurig Dr Pepper has agreed to acquire Tucson, Arizona-based Kalil Bottling as KDP continues to bolster its company-owned direct-store-delivery (DSD) operation in the western US. The announcement Friday came weeks after KDP disclosed in a Texas lawsuit that it will not renew a franchise agreement with Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling to distribute Dr Pepper products in California, effective Oct. 27, 2025. Reyes, citing California franchise laws, has asked a California judge to force a renewal unless KDP can show cause for ending the franchise arrangement. That has sent some Dr Pepper bottlers into their contracts to assess termination risk. KDP’s aggressive new stance with Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling has raised industry questions about whether more such moves are planned by KDP as part of a strategy to take back Dr Pepper territory from Coke and Pepsi bottlers. Or, is the Reyes non-renewal simply a special and opportunistic circumstance driven by geography and existing synergies?

Liquid refreshment beverage sales across all US measured and unmeasured channels in 2023 grew +7.9% by...tables included:

Table 1: U.S. LRB Category Volume and Dollar Performance FY2023

Table 2: Top U.S.Carbonated Soft Drink (CSD) Brands* FY2023

Table 3: Top U.S. Liquid Refreshment Beverages (LRB) Trademarks* FY2023

Bottler Embraces Role as Tester of Product and Packaging Innovation

Plus: Parcel Delivery Effort Seeks Profitability Down to Six-Pack

Coca-Cola Beverages Florida has come a long way since Troy Taylor leveraged his relationships and expertise as an advisor to Coca-Cola to win franchise bottling territory under Coca-Cola’s massive refranchising effort a decade ago. What started as central Florida territory anchored by Tampa/St. Petersburg has expanded to the entire...

Bottled water producer BlueTriton is rolling out a new premium aluminum bottle for its Pure Life and regional spring water brands, including Poland Spring, Arrowhead, and Deer Park. The package is among a host of growth priorities for the company, said CEO Joey Bergstein in an interview. BlueTriton was formed about...

New York direct store distributor Big Geyser is known for helping turn aspiring non-alcoholic brands into stars by incubating them up and down the street in one of the most competitive beverage markets in the world. Brands handled by Big Geyser often graduate to the national distribution systems of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, or Keurig Dr Pepper. Notable examples include Vitaminwater and Smartwater, BodyArmor, and Monster Energy. Even more impressive recently is Big Geyser’s ability to hold onto hot brands even after they sign national distribution deals. Recent examples are...