Dr Pepper reached a milestone in 2023, as you’ll learn in today’s newsletter. The brand’s regular-calorie version ended the year... In an interview in this issue (see article), Keurig Dr Pepper’s new CEO Tim Cofer and the company’s previous CEO, Executive Chairman Bob Gamgort, discuss how they plan to maintain Dr Pepper’s performance, including through the recruitment of young consumers. They also address their vision for expanding KDP’s company-owned distribution system, including for brands such as Dr Pepper (which has been a hot topic this week).
You can find these Dr Pepper performance details and much more in BD’s Fact Book, 29th Edition, which we just released last week (order HERE). This in-depth resource covers 2023 sales results and data across the US non-alcoholic beverage industry. The data differs from...
In the summer of 2021, Dave Burwick’s career path collided with itself. That’s when Boston Beer, the maker of Sam Adams craft beer and Truly Hard Seltzer, announced a partnership with PepsiCo to create Hard Mtn Dew. Burwick was President and CEO of Boston Beer. Earlier in his career, he spent 20 years at PepsiCo, where he once managed the Mtn Dew brand before eventually becoming...
As previously reported by BD, Gatorade Water is now available nationally in the US. The alkaline bottled water is the brand’s first unflavored water. To mark the occasion, PepsiCo rented ...
Multi-serve Glass Bottle Planned for Spring. Single-Serve Version to Follow. Plus: Coke Expands Lemon-Dou to India.
December 19, 2023
Coca-Cola’s Red Tree Beverages is planning a spring launch of the US alcohol unit’s first wine-based product, named Minute Maid Spiked. The drink was developed for the large percentage of legal drinking age consumers who regularly mix alcohol into non-alcoholic juice and juice drinks, including Minute Maid products, Red Tree ...
Coke Spiced, BodyArmor Zero, Bubly Burst, Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut Among Coming Launches
October 12, 2023
This year’s NACS expo for convenience store operators, held last week in Atlanta, provided a first look at product innovation from beverage makers in advance of Spring shelf resets. Buyers from both chain and independent small-store retailers attend the show. NACS is the primary trade association for the global convenience and fuel retailing industry. BD attended the event to walk the show floor. Here are some of the newest products shown:
Closest Three-Way Parity Market? Charlotte, North Carolina
September 27, 2023
Green Sheet: Coca-Cola Gains Share in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Others.
Coca-Cola held a leading retail volume and dollar share of carbonated soft drinks last year in most major metro areas tracked by BD, as shown in the table below. Coke was the leading cola in most of those markets as well. More broadly, Coca-Cola was No. 1 by CSD volume share in...
Increased Velocity a Focus for Key Brands Like Pepsi, Gatorade, Bubly
September 27, 2023
Executives from PepsiCo’s company-owned and independent bottling system met recently in Dallas to discuss 2024 market plans. PepsiCo Beverages North America CEO Kirk Tanner opened the meeting with a challenge to strive for “five-star excellence” when it comes to selling, service, sustainability, profit, and market share. “Three-star is good enough. Five-star is exceptional,” he said. “It is all about resetting our expectation for
’You Need More People’ to Grow, CEO Tells Barclays Audience
September 14, 2023
Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO James Quincey and North America President Jennifer Mann sat down on Sept 7 for an on-stage interview with equities analyst Lauren Lieberman at the Barclays Consumer Staples Conference in Boston. A key message from Quincey and Mann was Coca-Cola’s pursuit of...
Ninja's New Thirsti Drink System Takes on SodaStream
August 30, 2023
PepsiCo’s SodaStream has new competition from kitchen appliance maker Ninja. The Ninja Thirsti Drink System launched in late July. The company sent me a unit to try. Here are my observations:
— The primary difference in Thirsti versus SodaStream is that drinks are produced by the glass instead of by the bottle. With SodaStream and most other sparkling water appliances, including Aarke and Drinkmate, water is carbonated inside a multi-serve bottle. The user removes the bottle and pours in flavor syrup, shaking the mixture by hand. With Thirsti, water is drawn from a reservoir that is refillable and removable for fridge chilling. Changeable concentrate pods automatically release...