PepsiCo will unveil a new lemon lime soda called Starry at the annual NACS show for convenience store operators that starts today, according to company sources. While details are scarce, BD has learned that the drink is a new brand within the lemon lime soda category dominated by Coca-Cola’s Sprite. Starry will include regular and zero sugar versions, according to the sources. It will be available nationally starting in...

A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

Pricing growth remained elevated through the first half of this year at US retail for non-carbonated beverage categories tracked by BD. As shown in the table, that led to dollar sales growth even as volume declined for all tracked categories except plain bottled water. Pricing growth for the first half of the year for all categories except sports drinks...

A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat...

As Honest co-founder Seth Goldman races to get his new ready-to-drink tea to market in the aftermath of Coca-Cola’s decision to discontinue Honest tea, there is one thing he is sure of for now. He won’t try to build a...

BlueTriton’s Pure Life Overshadowed by Regional Water Brands. BodyArmor Bucks Pricing Trend. Pricing growth accelerated during the first quarter of 2022 for all major non- carbonated beverage categories tracked by BD, as shown in the table below. Plain bottled water, flavored and enhanced waters, and sports drink all posted volume and dollar sales growth. Pricing gains for ready-to-drink tea and juice drinks were enough to offset declining volume in those categories...

You’ll note an extreme focus on carbonated soft drink pricing in today’s newsletter. That’s because there is no shortage of news, and soft drinks remain a massive and profitable category for US manufacturers and retailers.

On page 7, bottlers discuss the recent Memorial Day holiday weekend and how soda consumers and retailers are responding to higher list prices and fewer “hot” promotional deals. BD shares what we learned from an informal survey. The news so far is positive, even if precarious.

On page 10, we publish our annual soft drink concentrate pricing review, which reflects the inflationary environment facing the industry and its stakeholders. Increases for major soda brands like Coca- Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper as high as...