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 volume and dollar gains last year. The results also illustrate the initial signs of inflation-driven pricing gains that are now in full swing for 2022 and could lead to a consumer pushback.

In the CSD category, volume grew for the first time in 17 years. Sprite and Diet Coke swapped positions in our top-10 brand ranking. In LRB trademark rankings, Gatorade posted solid results despite persistent supply shortages.

For those not familiar, this report and our Fact Book are your key sources for brand-specific results that cover all channels, measured and non-measured. The tables in these pages and in the Fact Book include fountain and vending channels.

I should mention that this year’s Fact Book report includes an important addition. Chilled juice and tea products that require refrigeration have been added to our juice/juice drinks and
ready-to-drink tea datasets. Previous reports included only bottler-delivered juices and
teas, which were primarily shelf-stable.

As always, we are happy to discuss this year’s results or answer questions. Call or email anytime.

– Duane Stanford, Editor & Publisher